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/423

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COI.UMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

In 1 ^ 3 proceedings were instituted to free this bridge under the provisions o f an act of Assem bly. V iew ers were appointed, who re­ ported in favo r of the taking of the bridge by the counties o f Montour and Northumberland, and fixed the damages at $32,000. T his award was appealed from and the case w as removed to Clinton county fo r trial. A ju ry returned a verdict fo r $36,722.38. T h is placed the Danville bridge upon the free list, to the delight o f a people who felt that they had long been im|x>scd upon. T he toll n th c r e rs had been Daniel Hotfman, R u ­ dolph Sechler. E. M ellon, Isaiah S. Thornton and Joseph Hunter. T he follow ing table shows the toll rates in 18 28 : Cents Six-hortc team ...................................................... 6a!^ P ive-h o rse team ........................................................ 50 F o u f*h o r»c t e a m .........................................................yjV t T h re c -h o rtc team ........ ......................................... T w o -h o rs e team .........................................................25 O n e -h o r K D earborn o r g i g ..................................... O n e horse and r id e r ................................................... tsy. O n e fo o t p e r s o n ........................................................ 3 Cattle, each ................................................................ 4 Sheep and hogs, eaeh ................................................ 1 C lergym en preaching in t o w n ..................................Free C hurchgoers ...............................................................F ree Funerals and attendants........................................... F ree

In later years these tolls were largely increased. In 1904, on the 9th o f M arch, this third bridge w as swept aw ay by a trcmcndou.s icc flood. T he counties o f Nlomour and N orth­ umberland at once instituted proceedings for the erection o f a new bridge by the State, and the presetit beautiful and substantial bridge w as the result. It is about a quarter o f a mile in length and bears an immcn.sc traffic to and from the south side. It is nuintaineoint and the forcing of the w ater from the river by power­ ful engines. O thers, who favored a reservoir, insisted on bringing the w ater from R oaring creek in pipes pas.sing under the river b e d; while others, again, were inclinc<l to connect with the waterw orks at the State Hospital fo r the Insane. On M arch 26, 1867. an act was passed pro­ viding a s fo llo w s: "T h a t Thom as Beaver, Dr,

R. S. Simington, W illiam H. M agill, W. W. Pinneo, Jo h n G rove, Tliom as Chalfant, Isaac X. G rier, Jaco b Snyder, Jaco b Locb, Paul Leidy and Dan A foigan, o f (he Borough o f Danville, in Montour County, be and they a re hereby appointetl commissioners, who, or a inaiority of them, are hereby authorized to es­ tablish a company, by the name, style and title of the Danville W ater Company, to be located in the Borough o f D anslllc, in the County o f Montour, fo r the purpose o f supplying the inhabitants of the Borough o f Danville afore.said with a sufficient supply o f pure and whole­ some water from the Susquehanna river, o r such other source as m ay be deemed most suit­ able and convenient; said company to have a capital not exceeding $50,000, to be divided into 2,yx> shares o f $2 0 e ach; which company shall be organized, managed and controlled under and in accordance with the provisions of the A ct o f Assem bly passed the n t h day o f M arch, Anno ][>omini one thousand eight hun­ dred and fifty-seven, entitled, ‘A n Act to pro­ vide fo r the incorporation o f G as and W ater Companies.’ ” T he formation o f this company w as never completed, but the movement brought to a head the various propositions in regard to supplying (he town with w ater, and communications were received explaining (he character and success of the "H o lly System ,” then recently introd u c«l by the H olly firm al la x k p o rt. New Y ork. T h e borough council took up the subject, and whilst all urged a water supply, the coun­ cil w as about equally divided b^w ccn the I lolly System and a reservoir. Finally a com­ mittee, consisting o f George W . R eay, J . Sw eisfort. WiUiam Buckley and M . D, L. Scchlcr, was appointed to investigate (he subject. M arch 2 3. 1872, an act of the le g islatu re authorized the borough o f Danville to establish waterworks, and among other things provided that A . G. V'oris, Dan M organ and John C. Rhoades should be water commissioners, for the pu qw sc o f supcr-ising and overseeing the construction, m aintaining and managing of said waterworics, the flrst o f whom w as to hold his office fo r the term o f one year, the second fo r two years and the last named fo r three y e a rs; and providing further that thereafter the burgess and town council should appoint annually a (lerson a s w ater commissioner, to hold his office fo r the term o f three y e a rs; and authorizing further the burgess and town coun­ cil to borrow such sums o f money as might br