The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-23

IF they haven't disposed of it." said a
Philadelphia lawyer, according 60 the New
York Sun, the School Board of Lower
Providence township, Montgomery county,
Pennsylvania, has a we'll bucket on its
hands that perhaps cost more than any
800 well buckets in Pennsylvania or any
other state. The district school house
in that township is one of the Oldest in
che county. There is a deep well in the
school house yard, and for more than fifty
years the same Old oaken bucket has been
in use at the We'll, with never a leak or a
break, until one day School Director Evans
discovered that the Venerated old bucket
had at last sprung a leak. He at once
sent the bucket away for repairs.
Director A!lbaugh discovering that the
bucket was gone. purchased a new bucket
a yellow one, for which he paid 80 cents
He hung the new bucket in the we'll and
presented the bill for il at the next meet
ing of the board. The board refused to
pay the bill, the original old oaken bucket
having in the meantime been repaired and
returned, Director Evans paying for the
repairs out of his own pocket. Director
Allbaugh insisted that the board must pay
for the new bucket. A special meeting
was called to discuss the matter. and after
a long and stormy session a majority of
the board voted against allowing tEe
had been good enough for their fathers
and their grandfathers, and consequently
was good enough for them, and that DIT
any rate, the purchase of the new bucket
had not been authorized by the board The
boards action, while approved by a strong
following in the district. was denounced
by the friends and adherents Of Director
AEbaugh and another special meeting Of
the board was demanded to discuss the
merits of the case. This meeting lasted
half the night, and resulted in the former
action Of the board being sustained
Two factions came into existence out
of the contest. one sustaining the school
authorities in their refusal to saddle on
the township the burden Of the 9O-cent
new yellow bucket and the other denounc-
ing the authorities for their action and de-
claring that they must pay that 90 cents
or take the consequences. Director All
baugh sued the board of directors to re-
cover his claim. The suit was tried before
Justice Eetteralf, the hearing and arqu-
ments in the case being adjourned from
time to time for several weeks Then the
justice held the case under advisement for
a week, and decided in favor of the board
on the technical ground that the 9O-cent
new yellow bucket had not been used
The case was reopened and ex-Attornev
General Wayne MacFeagh was employed
by director Alibaugh to prosecute il for
him. Several experts in well buckets were
called as witnesses to examine the bucket
in controversy and the weight of their
evidence seeming to prove that the bucket
had been used, the justice decided that
the school board must pay the 80 cents. to-
gether with the costs of the suit. The
taxed costs of the suit were $3.50 Counsel
fees amounted 20 nearly as much more. so
that the S-cent new yellow bucket stood
the township in an easy $500. And the cd
oaken bucket hangs in the well just the
same as it did fifty years ago"