The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-05

Judge J. W. Carpenter In court room
No. yesterday heard an appeal of the
LaCkaWanna Iron & Steel company
from the assessment of the city and
county assessors on certain property
in the Eleventh and Seventeenth wards
of this city which the company con-
tends is too high The contention is
based largely on the fact that shops,
mills and furnaces have been practi-
cally abandoned by the company and
are beng dsmantled as rapidly as pos
sible.
The properties on which the company
asks that the assessment he reduced
follow: Sawmill and offices, assess
ment $4,000, want It cut to $1,000;
blast furnace, SlO5O 900 to $50, 900; North
Steel mill, $3.50, 600 to $50 900; old engine
houses, $4,000 to $4,000; mule barn
So, 300 to 81 900. The assessment for city
and county purposes is identical eX-
Cept as 10 the blast furnace and North
steel mill. The former is assessed for
100000 for county purposes and the
latter for 100000 A pattern shop is
assessed at $500 for county purposes,
which the company asks to have
stricken off entirely, alleging that the
building was torn down some time ago.
1t is not assessed for city purposes.
ATTORNEYS n THE CASE.
At yesterdays hearing the company
was represented by Attorneys O'Brien
| & Martin and the city and county by
| City Solicitor George NJ. Watson and
| County Solicitor II. l.. Taylor. All OF
| the evidence on the part of the conf
| pany was put in yesterday and today
| the city will put on a number of real
estate men who will testify to the
value of the land and buildings which
the company says are assessed far be-
yond their value.
The first witness examined yester-
day for the company was William T..
| keisel. who has charge of the land
| interests of the company. He wen,
over the disputed properties in great
detail to prove that the present assess
| ment is far to high as all of the build
| ings in question have been abandoned
so far as manufacturing purposes are
| concerned and are now being dismant'
! led or will be in short time. With
reference to the blast furnaces he saiC
that by the end of the present yeal
none of them will be in operation anC
all will be in course of dismantling
Several of the fire furnaces formerl,
used are now dismantled.
T.. W. Gerecke OF the Finch Manu-
featuring company was called to tes
tify to the present value of the ma
chinery in the shops and mills of tn
company, the assessment of Whichis II
question and Contractor ConraC
Schroeder gave evidence as to th
present value of the buildings.
PLANS OF THE COMPANY.
Henry Wehrum, the general manage
of the company, was called and testi
fled to the present condition of tn
buildings Of the company in question
and the future plans of the company
He said that by the end Of the pres
cnt year nothing will be left of tn
blast furnace and North mill, Some q
the machinery from these places is be
ing removed to Buffalo, but the great
er part of it is fit only for the scra
heap and is being sold as old iron.
The companys side of the cas-
closed with Mr.. Wehrum's testimon
and the case for the city and count
was then opened. Robert koehler, tn
city assessor for the seventeenth ware
was called and testified that he mad
the assessment now being appeale