Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-03-16

PETITION To
LEGISLATURE

A petition from Danville to the
State legislature fc- Sarded over one
hundred years ago and containing
among the signatures many well
known names has just come to light in
a very curious way in the great New
berry Library, of Chicago, building
famous as the repository of more old
and valuable records than are to be
found in any institution of its kind in
the country.
The petition bears the date of 1902
and is of interest rs revealing how in
adequate the facilities were for trans
portatjon at that early day. 1t was be-
fore the days of the canal or railroad,
when the country was undeveloped,
and there was no other way of getting
the products of the prosperous settle
ment here into the market than by
shipping by arc down the Susquehanna
or by hauling long distances over prim
tive roads, which meant mountain
climbing and the fording of streams.
AS will be seen by the petition the
river. even presented obstacles to trans
portation and the citizens of Danville
were content to pray for improvements
many miles down the stream satisfied
with the advantage that would in
directly accrue to them if this great
common highway were made navigable
at all seasons.
The petition was discovered among
other old records by Mr.. Philip FL.
Miller, of Chicago, who was looking
over lot of old papers for altogether
another purpose. Now it happens that
Mr.. Miller was a native of Danville
he was at once attracted by the old
petition and lie saw of what interest it
would be to the present residents OF
our town. He at once made a trans
cript of the petition, which he sent to
a relative, Mrs. W. H. Andy, this city,
together with a full explanation of all
the circumstances relating to its dis
covery. The petition is as follows:
A To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives of the State of Pennsylvania
in General Assembly met.
The petition of the subscribers here
by sheweth:
That at a time when the happy re-
turn of peace has by its immediate op-
Grafton greatly. diminished the neat
value of our produce we believe it will
we'll become a wise and virtuous leg
islature to turn its attention to the
improvement of the roads and rivers
so that transportation may be facilitat.
ed which the late liberal prices by
prompting industry to IL more exten-
sive cultivation of new lands in the
interior of the country has very mu ch
discovered the necessity of ;all of which
leads your petitioners to beg leave to
recall your attention to the reports of
the commissioners-Rea Howell,
William Dean and Frederick Antes in
the year 1870 and that of Timothy
Matlack, Samuel M'Clay and John
Album of the same year, 1880; partic-
ularly as they repsect that part of the
river at and near Nc.
KEGS Falls and thst part of north least
branch of said river designated rs
Crooks rifles and rifles near Ten
Mile run not because these are the
only places worth notice, but because
we are assured from full experience
that if those places were improved
there will scarcely be time through
the whole summer but boat can car
ry half Il load from Mahoning or Dan
vile to Columbia and so great is the
quantity in produce, i'll wheat',an flour
exported from Danville that all the
boats on that part of the river were
employed last season from the opening
of the winter till harvest and were in
sufficient to transport it; and by hav-
ing these places improved we presume
a considerable quantity of produce
might be transported through the
whole season. We, therefore, pray
your honors will be pleased to approp-
riatelthe sums mentioned in the above
reports to these particular objects, not
doubling but as soon as the Governor
can command the money persons will
be found who will undertake and eX
ecute the above improvements much to
the advantage of the public as well as
to your petitioners. And as duty bound
they will ever pray.
(Signed)
William Montgomery, John Gray
William Whitaker, Henry Best, John
Montgomery, Benjamin Houck, James
Giles, Robert Gehr, John Donaldson,
James Low, James Casterline, Samuel
NJ. Farren, Thomas Woodside, Robert
Fairman, ]. Brady, John Russell, Will
liam Cott, William Sheriff, Alex. Cott,
James A. Larson, John Huntingdon,
Daniel Montgomery, William Mont
gomery, George Mccall, John Boyd,
William Cornelison, w. P. Maclay and
Daniel Montgomery, of Northumber-
land.
The above communication, the rec
ords show, was read in the Assembly
January 26, 1902, and was laid over for
further consideration.
Cave In Feared.