West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-01-20
airriNG UP rmERisRg CITY
Afreulasnt Citisen Reads The Riot
Aetro The In.ofnciais or Tho
Ta~u

RowLEsauRa, w. VA, Jan. Ia, Us
EDITOR ARGus:-I wish to- call the at.
tention of the public TO the condition
OF our town aud few OF the nu,sanccs
that are allowed 30 be imposed on the
people by our town officials, az we
have any, We have had from to IL
cases of typhoid fever ever since about
October and We now have 10 cases. Al
THIS thine of the year this kind of dis
case should be thing OF the past, but
our little town is the flthiest one you
can End between baltimore and Chic
ago. This is rather n broad assertion.
but IL any one doubts Il. let them come
and Investigate the town. can show
them enough filth on acres OF the
town TO kill all the people In the
county, il nature did not make any
allowances to dispose of very large
quantity OF flth.
Now why is this ? II is because we
have no town Council or Mayor. W.,
did elect them about nine months ago.
but have not heard any thing from
THEM since, only when we paid our
little taS-and here lies ono of the
principal troubles-some OF the princi.
pal property holders here worked n
very clever game on the assessors--for
example take the Hon. c. NJ. Bishop.
his corporation tax Is only about ss5. 90
aud the corporation levy is so cents on
the hundred, this makes his property
here in town worth or assessed ut
- 600 and he receives about 81, 500 a
year for rents. He sold one house and
lot for 5000. which he had assessed at
$4,000 and one about the same that
was assessed at the same. I am told
by good authority that when MIR.
Grimes was here assessing the town,
Mr. bishop was here with HIM and
went with him from place to place ard
hxed the asse ssment on all his property.
One OF his houses he told Mr.. Grimes
was not worth anything and he would
give IL To any man who would move IL
of, aud the house and lot was put
down to $500 A short time after
this he sold this house and lot for
1900 90, all Mr.. Bishops property Is In
the same ratio. Now by this kind OF
assessment and by having only 80 cents
per hundred assessment, we do not get
enough taxes to do very much work,
but we intend to elect Council and
Mayor at our next election that will
make the levy $l.OO per hundred i'm
stead OF 80 cents and get more money
and do some cleaning up. But AS we
have been having so much sickness In
town for some three months. / think
the present Council should open their
eyes and take a stroll down Church
Alley and look right and left. also 20
over in Tar Hole" along Tie X. II.
tracko and behind some OF the lum Der
and stave piles and see IL they can not
| hnd the filth have mentioned above.
Hut the whole fact is we have no such
| thing us Il Council We elected them,
but they would not serve and failed To
notify the people OF the fact, because
IL they did they could not draw the
| ~ 90 year they voted to themselves.
and then the people might elect some
one who would make a noise in town
around some of the frog ponds and
filth piles. Aud some OF them might
wake up about q COCK some day aud
find their little old black, half-tumble-
down fence. or pig pen gone aud
notice on some other huilding for the
owner To rid IL OF IL, ten wears accuinu.
lntions and then there would be some
| paint and white.w wash TO buy too. All
my friends We will DO after you about
next May. Please be ready.
| Your friend,
SAM CnooK.