The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-04-07
WANT TO Be A BOROUGH.
The Citizens of Scalp Level Preparing for a
Municipality.
NEW cousrY scHEME HINrED AT.

Now that the B,rwind White Coal
Company have set about TO deveiope the
coal fields in the north Of this county the
denizens of the hitherto modest village of
Scalp Level. realizing the importance of
that point as base of supply for the
army of miners who will soon take pos
session of that region, have begun TO con
slider the feasibility of Incorporating the
village into a borough. i'm order that they
may enjoy the privileges secured to town
folks by the various Acts of Assembly.
Prosperity is already in evidence at
Scalp Level and the population of the
place has been materially increased dur
the past six weeks, or since the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad spur from Lovett to Scalp
has been under construction, and all in
dications point to a large influx of people
during the coming year.
As soon as the locomotive appears at
Scalp the Berwind- White Company will
have three or four mines opened mp
ready to begin shipments and it is expec-
ted that several thousand miners will
find employment at that place immedi-
ately. The increase of population will
naturally attract additional business men
to Scalp and the probabilities are that a
fiourishing mining town will spring up
there in very short time. The present
population of Scalp Level is estimated at
so souls. The place has long been a
stirring village, but for some reason or
other-possibly the increase in the way
OF local taxation that would follow-no
steps have ever been taken 10 erect bor
ough. Things are different now, how
ever, and the desire of the people to in
corporate borough is said 10 be growing.
There are serious obstacles in the way
of erecting borough that will take in all
of the people comprising the village OF
Scalp Level. The town is located along
the line dividing Cambria and Somerset
counties, with a majority of the buildings
on the Somerset county side. The eoun-
ty line runs directly east and west and
the character of the country is such
that future expansion must be on the
Somerset county side. The people of the
town are naturally bound together by
reason of long social and business ties
and are all reported to be anxious that
the proposed borough shall include all or
the territory occupied by the present viii
lage, bat neither they will seek to alb
stract territory from Cambria or Somer-
set has not yet been fully determined.
1t can be authoritively stated that Cam
bria county parties are scheming to cut a
slice of Somerset county and add it to
Cambria, with view, it is said, of ulti-
mately erecting a new county of which
Johnstown is To be the county seat. The
members of the Assembly from Cam
bria county have been quietly canvass
ing the matter at Harrisburg and if hill
authorizing the running Of a new county
line, 10y which large slice of Somerset
county can be distracted and added to
Cambria, without creating too much hos
tility from the Somerset, Westmoreland
and Indiana county members it viii be
introduced and pushed forward to final
passage.
The new county project was agitated at
least seventy five years ago when Cam
bria county secured good strip of Paint
township. The project has been smould-
ering ever since, with an occasional
| feeble revival, and now that the mineral
resources of the north of Somerset coun-
ty are in process of speedy development
it will be well to keep watchful eye on
the schemers who are intent on securing
portion of Somerset's richest territory.