Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/313

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

m anagers, nKii o f pow erful influence, and so the contest %vcnt on. Danville, having triumphed o ver Bloomsb u ig and M ilton in being designated as the county town, found herself confronted with the rather difl'tcult task o f providing w ays and means to erect the required county buildings, ja il and courthouse. H e r citizens, as well as all the other people o f this portion of the new county, w ere stirred to energetic action by (he fact that they must not allow a loop* hokr fo r the enemies o f Danville, who were alert fo r any pretext on which to base a re­ moval of the county seat. T h e new county made an appropriation tow ards the building o f $1,0 5 0 . 'Ih e rest of the money w as paid by private subscriptions. T h ree or four subscrip­ tion papers were circulated early in 18 14 . two o f which arc still extant. T h ey were dupli­ cates and read as follow s: ' W e, the fuhtcribert, prom iM to pay into Daniel MontKomery, James Maus and A lem Marr, fo r (he purpose o f erecting the pubik buildings in Danville. tl>e county seat fo r the county o f Colum­ bia. the sums re s p m iv c ly annexed to our nan>e«; nevertheless, in case the w hole subscription he not appropriated fo r the purpose aforesaid, (he subwriplion o f each $ubscril)ef shall be refunded in propor­ tion to the sum subscribed.

H ere w as prudent forethought, indeed, on the part o f those old fellow s, characteristic of the time an<l the men. sounding curious to men o f this age. when such a thing as expen<litures fallin g short o f appropriations is .in undreamed o f possibility, much less a prob­ ability. T h is w as long licfore the d ays o f g ra ft and political conlractors. These were men o f sturdy p.itriotism and unflinching inlegrity. men who studied the public good and plotted not fo r private gain. H ow (he [)oliticiau o f today laughs at the thought of the whole sum appropriated not licing ncede<l! H ow he pities the sim plicity and honesty of these men o f form er d a y s! Y et these were the men who wove patriotism, purity, truth aud honesty into the fabric o f our goveninicnt and mji<le possible a nation outriding the storm s o f censure and overcom ing the blasts of the dishonesty and corruption of these pres­ ent days. T h e hope o f today is bastxl ujKin the deep, firm, hro,id and unyielding founda­ tion o f truth, honesiy. promise and endeavor laid by these men in the early days of the nineteenth centur% T lie principal names to this subscription paper arc o f sufficient interest to preserve for n osterity: Daniel Montgomcr)-, $ 1,0 0 0; W il­ liam M o n tg o m ery.St.000; Joseph M a u s .$ 1 0 0 :

Thom as W oodside, $ 1 0 0; Phillip Goodman. $ 1 0 0; .Alexander M ontgom ery. $ 10 0; James l.oughcad. $ 1 0 0; Jo h n Montgomery, $75: .Alem M arr. $ 5 0; W illiam Montgomery. S50; D avid Petrikin. $ 5 0 : Jo h n Decn, S 3 5; Rob­ ert M cW illiam s, $ 2 5 : Jo h n E%‘ans, $ 2 5 : Wil­ liam C lark. $ 2 5; W illiam .Mann, $ 2 5; Beier Blue, $ 2 0; Peter P.ahly, $ 1 2; David William'. $ 1 0; Jam e s Donalson, $ 1 0 : Jo h n Moore. $10; and others, $ 2 2 — a total o f ^ .9 4 4. 'This generous subscription was sufficient encouragement to commence the buildir^ o( the courthouse. Gen. D . Montgomery m a<l< an estimate o f (he cost, $2,704.96. The com­ mittee to receive and disburse the money con­ sisted o f General M ontgom ery, M r. Marr and •Mr. M aus. Mes.srs. M ontgom ery and Marr were too deeply engaged in their own affairs to give the matter attention, we are told, so this duty devolved upon M r. M aus alone. With his wonted cncig)' he entered upon the task, employed workmen, opened stone quarries, brick kilns, purchaseel timlicr, hanlw are. glass, paints and needed m aterials o f all kinds. His only resource fo r iKxirding the workmen was to establish a boarding house. In person be collcciesl the suliscriptions, superintended the w ork, paid all bills, and his unrentitting cn e^and toil soon witnessed the triumph of his labors. O f those who worked upon the build­ ing the follow ing names are all that can now be recalled : Daniel Cam eron, a Scotchman, w as a carpenter in charge o f that jiart of the w o rk; T u n is G earhart. Jam e s and Jo s e ^ Crosley were stonem asons; W illiam and <»illiert Gibcrson, brickm asons; the chief plas­ terer w as the jo lly H ilicm ian, M ichael Raf­ ferty, whose home w as in D anville. Isaac K dgar, assisted by .-shcr Sm ith and Jolm Cope, made the brick. T h e other employees on the building, their particular posts not be­ ing known, were Jo h n Bryson. Jo h n Strieker. Edw in Stocking, .Alexander Joh n son, Benja­ min G arrctson. Neheniiah H and. William I.linger, Peter W atts. P eter Snyder. Frederick Harbolt. Jam es Thom as. W illiam Doak. D. Hcndcr.son, R. Long and T. H aller. T h e total cost of the building w as $3,980.80. It was commenced in .April. 18 15 . and compleiesl in September. 1 816. 'Tltesc. our nation builders, w ere a hardy race, jiious— bigots, it m ay be— austere in their religious tenets and practices: severe o f con­ science ami relentless in the pursuit o f sin: and. in order that no sin might esca(>c. pun­ ishing even innocent pleasu res: splendid types of the church ntilitant, fu ll of the fire of ]»atriotism. dcvotctl to the death to liberty, and