1908 WB Record Almanac, Luzerne Co in 1907


In a business way everything was on the boom in Luzerne county during 1907.  The mines 
worked steadily and all along the line there was activity in building.  Luzerne shared with the 
rest of the country in the wave of prosperity.

There were quite a few serious mine accidents during the year.  In February seven men were 
suffocated by fire in No. 19 mine of the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Co. at Wanamie and in
 July, nine men were suffocated by white damp in the Audenried mine of the same company, 
near the county line.  Four men were killed by a cave-in in No. 14 mine of the Pennsylvania Coal 
Co. at Port Blanchard in August, and in September four men were killed in the South Wilkes-
Barre Mine of the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre.

The record of capital crime was nearly as large as during the previous year.  In 1907 there were 
eleven murders and two suspicious deaths, as against thirteen murders and one suspicious 
death in 1906.  Surprising verdicts of leniency were returned by juries in some murder cases during the year.

Ten men and boys were drowned while bathing during the summer, the same numbers as the year previous.

The record of the year in relation to political events, the proceedings with reference to the election
 fraud cases and the efforts to establish more equitable assessments for coal and other property,
 are noted elsewhere in the almanac.

There was no flood during the year there having been none since the memorable inundation of 
1904.  During the early part of the year the conditions for a time were very threatening but the ice 
went out of the river during a gradual thaw and the fears of the timid were relieved.

There was really no cold weather until after the New Year.  January 24 the thermometer registered 
3 below zero in Wilkes-Barre and 18 below at Bear Creek.  On that date the river closed for the 
second time during the winter, and it remained closed until near the middle of March.  Ice formed to 
the thickness of from 12 to 16 inches and a plentiful crop was harvested.  The year previous the crop 
was very light.  The 5th of February was quite blizzardy, with about seven inches of snow in the valley. 
 Trolley and train traffic were interfered with during the day.  About the middle of February there was a
 cold spell of several days, with the thermometer registering below zero in the morning.  The spring 
was cold and wet.  May 12 the thermometer in Wilkes-Barre registered 31 degrees and ice formed
 in some places.  There was also a flurry of snow.  May 21 in Wilkes-Barre the thermometer registered 
38 degrees and ice formed on the mountains.  There was frost in May, June and July.  The summer was 
quite comfortable.  There were some spells of severe heat, but they were not of long duration.  About 98
 degrees was the highest registration.  July 7 was a day of severe electrical storms, the rainfall for the
 day amounting to 3.36 inches.  There was a frost during every month of the year, a most unusual occurrence.

During the year District Attorney Salsburg secured the services of a detective agency and caused the 
arrest of a considerable number of saloon-keepers on the charge of conducting speakeasies.  In most 
of the cases the defendants pleaded guilty.  Some of the cases remained to be tried at the end of the 
year.  A number of arrests were also made by private associations on the charge of selling on Sunday,
 and fines were imposed by aldermen.

The Wyoming Valley Society for the Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis passed under the control
 of the State Health Department during the year.  It was the first association of the kind organized in the
 state, and the state authorities accepted it as a model for the formation of a similar organization in each
 county of the commonwealth.  The officers and directors of the local society, however, continued their 
organization.  A branch was established at Nanticoke and one at Pittston, for gathering in patients from 
those sections, they to be turned over to the State dispensary in Wilkes-Barre if found to be suffering 
with the disease.  A number of patients were also cared for at White Haven.  The local society had 
secured an appropriation of $5,000 from the legislature and with this and private subscriptions a great
 work was carried forward independent of that of the State dispensary, but yet in harmony with it.

The second fair under the auspices of the Luzerne County Fair Association was held at West Side Park 
in August and it was even more successful than the first.  The association was greatly encouraged.  It is 
quite probable that before long the yearly fairs will be among the largest and most numerously attended 
in the State.  There was racing in the afternoon, and also in the evenings by electric light.

During the early part of the year occurred the death of J. T. L. Sahm, a member of the bar and for many 
years deputy prothonotary.  He had been retained in office by successive administrations, whether 
Democratic or Republican.  There also occurred the death of Gustav Hahn, one of the oldest members of the bar.

In January Col. McKee resigned as commander of the Ninth Regiment and Col. Asher Miner was 
elected to the position by unanimous vote.  In October the regiment was taken to the Jamestown
 Exposition and acted as escort for Governor Stuart on Pennsylvania Day, it being the only body of
 Pennsylvania militia present.  From Jamestown the regiment took a trip to Washington.  Part of the
 money was contributed by the men from their camp pay, but most of it was raised from friends of the
 regiment through the interest of Col. Miner.

Judge Wheaton announced his resignation from the bench in January in order to resume his private
 law practice.  He retired from the bench March 30.  Henry A. Fuller, Daniel A. Fell and ex-Judge 
Troutman were brought forward by their friends for the vacancy and there was a spirited contest.  
Governor Stuart on April 15 appointed Mr. Fuller, who was also nominated at the Republican primaries
 held in June and elected in November.

Considerable interest was taken in the new county movement during the session of the legislature.  
The politicians of the Hazleton region made themselves particularly active and bombarded the members
 of the legislature.  A delegation from the upper end went down under the auspices of the Wilkes-Barre 
Board of Trades and presented the other side of the question.  The bill drawn by the new county boomers 
would have submitted the question to a vote of the people.  The committee reported it favorably but it 
was defeated.

February 7 the new armory at Pittston was dedicated with elaborate ceremonies, participated in by 
Governor Stuart, Lieut. Governor Murphy, Adjutant General Stewart, Gen. Gobin, Gen. Dougherty and 
other notable persons.  The armory was the first erected under the new act of Assembly providing for
 the erection of armories out of the State funds.

In February twenty-five alleged members of the Black Hand in the Pittston region were arrested by the
 county detectives, the Pittston police and members of the State constabulary, charged with having been 
responsible for dynamiting, shooting, attempting to extort money, etc.  The complaints grew out of the 
experience of two brothers named Rizzi, who told a startling story of having been subjected to a condition 
of terrorism for some time.  It was stated that money had been demanded from them and that on several
 occasions their house was visited.  At one time an attempt was made to dynamite it and at another time
 shots were fired at them through the door and windows.  They told of having attended a meeting of the
 alleged conspirators and being ordered to give money.  Thirteen of the alleged Black Hand men were 
held for court and eleven were convicted.  They were sentenced to one year.  The sentence was commented
 on as being very lenient.

March 6 the Record printed a comprehensive article on the development of railroad transportation 
in the Wyoming Valley.

Wilkes-Barre Record Almanac 1908
Page 22-23

Luzerne County in 1907 (continued)

The subject of road improvement was of deep interest during the year.  The county commissioners
 figured out that there would be sufficient taxes to construct a county road from Wilkes-Barre to Pittston 
on the east side, to be made of macadam.  It was thought that this was the most important un-improved 
road in the county, on account of heavy traffic.  The cost was estimated at about $80,000.  The matter was
 placed before a grand jury and that body approved of the construction of the road but not of the route
 selected, advising that a further report be made.  The same grand jury recommended that the county 
commissioners take immediate steps to take the toll roads and toll bridges of the county out of private
 hands and make them free.  Towards the close of the year petitions were presented, in accordance 
with the act of assembly, for freeing the two Pittston bridges.  The commissioners will be compelled to
 take action of the court approves the project.  It is estimated that the cost of freeing all the toll bridges 
and toll roads of the county would be between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000, which, in addition to the 
nearly $2,000,000 for the new court house would mean a large burden of debt.  No decisive steps had 
been taken up to the time the almanac went to press.  The commissioners expect to make a move next
 year for the construction of the Wilkes-Barre-Pittston road, and the free bridge and road enthusiasts will
also make an effort to have their project carried through.  By appropriation of the legislature, Luzerne 
county’s share of the road improvement funds will be considerably augmented, but it is proposed to 
construct the road mentioned entirely out of the county funds, leaving the state funds for other work.  In 
September the roads committee of the Wilkes-Barre Automobile Club notified the road officers of the 
county that they would be prosecuted for neglect in not keeping the highways in good repair.  The court 
also during the year called these officers to account.

June 12 and 13 the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of West Pittston as a borough was observed
 with elaborate ceremonies.  Many thousands of people were attracted to the place.  There were parades
 on each day and jubilee balls.  The town was elaborately decorated.  It was one of the largest and best
 celebrations the county has ever seen and the West Pittston people were showered with congratulations.

In June T. L. Newell, of Kingston, donated a farm near Harvey’s Lake for the use of boys during the summer,
 and several camping parties pitched tents under the supervision of Rev. Mr. Sweet, who had charge of the place.

August 29 a distressing accident occurred in Edwardsville by the burning of the home of Mrs. John Koras.  
The woman and her  three sons were so badly burned that she and two of the sons died.

In September the historic Perkins homestead at Wyoming was torn down to make way for another building. 
 It was erected in 1782 by David Perkins, a son of John Perkins, who was murdered by Indians on July 7, 1777.

ASSESSMENT AGITATION
More equitable valuation of property for purposes of taxation caused a great deal of interest in Luzerne 
county during 1907, and the Record took a prominent part in the agitation.

Early in the year, in January, Judge Lynch made an emphatic charge to the grand jury, instructing that 
body to consider carefully the question whether or not there had been favoritism on the part of the assessors.  
The jury made a report finding that there was gross inequality in Duryea, Nanticoke, and Hanover township, 
especially with reference to the valuation of coal property.  The jury recommended that the valuation in the 
places named be increases to the extent of about $15,000,000, and also recommended the indictment of
 one assessor in Duryea, one in Hanover and a D. L. & W. land agent.  The grand jury was held over another
 week and further inquired into the discrimination.  The second report recommended an additional increase 
of about $25,000,000 in the valuations; that the commissioners levy the taxes upon the full valuation instead
 of upon one-fourth of the valuation, as had been the custom; also that the Luzerne county legislators work for 
a change in the law, providing for a different method of making the assessment.  The jury also indicted quite 
a number of assessors, but none were tried during the year.

Previous to the grand jury report the county commissioners had sent a circular letter to each county assessor,
 instructing him to value all property fairly and according to law, under penalty of prosecution.

The agitation was begun by the very apparent negligence on the part of assessors.  It was well known that 
coal land was not assessed in proportion to the value placed upon other property, and that the real estate 
assessments varied greatly-the whole resulting in a very unfair distribution of the burdens of taxation.  It was
 generally the small property owner that was discriminated against in favor of the large property owner.

When the new books of the assessors were returned to the county commissioners it was seen that there was
 little improvement over former years, in spite of the agitation.  Some of the assessors made an effort to do 
better, while others seemed to have made no effort at all to equalize the valuations.  In consequence the 
commissioners in February employed county surveyor Sturdevant to ascertain, as far as possible, the coal 
deposits throughout the county, where located, and by whom owned.  Mr. Sturdevant employed some assistants 
and went about the hard task.

In April the commissioners fixed a uniform valuation for all coal land in the county at $67 a foot thickness.
  In previous years it had averaged about $50.  The coal companies made forceful complaint and when the
time for hearing appeals arrived the commissioners were besieged by the agents and attorneys for the 
companies.  After hearing them all the commissioners decided that the $67 should stand, but the companies 
were given rebates for coal that could not be mined, for coal left standing as pillars, and for thin veins where 
mining was unusually difficult.  It was figured out that the increase in taxation from the higher valuation of coal 
land would amount to about $30,000.  The companies finally appealed to court, alleging that the $67 a foot 
valuation was higher than the proportionate valuation placed upon real estate throughout the county, and 
therefore contrary to law, and also that it averaged more than the market value of the coal land.  A decision
 had not been rendered Dec. 15.

The commissioners also made some effort to readjust the real estate valuations, but they could not begin 
to do this work thoroughly, since it was impossible for them to og over the county and ascertain where 
assessors had been negligent.  However, between the commissioners and the efforts of many of the 
assessors to equalize valuations, there was a total increase on all kinds of property in the county of $28,201,248
 over the previous assessment.

The commissioners also decided to base the taxation upon the full assessment instead of one-quarter.  It was
 feared that if the commissioners gave the municipal taxing authorities more than one-fourth of the valuation they 
would take advantage of their authority under the law to excessively burden the taxpayers; that they would not
 correspondingly reduce the tax levy.  However, the commissioners were informed that it was illegal to divide that 
valuation, and do they did not do so.

In order to get rid of the two hundred or more ward and district assessors throughout the county, many of them
 incompetent and others negligent, a bill was introduced in the legislature providing for the appointment of five 
assessors for each legislative district, they to be permanently employed and to receive stated salaries.  It was
 hoped in that method to concentrate the work and secure more responsible authority.  The bill was defeated.  
An effort will be made to revive it at the next session.

For municipal purposes the city of Wilkes-Barre makes its own assessment.  The agitation for equalization was 
directed along this line also.  In consequence, the present assessment shows an increase of $7,057,711 over 
the 1906 books.  The Record recommended that the complete work of the assessors be published in one or 
more newspapers so that all taxpayers could see each valuation of the city.  The Record believed that in that 
manner mistakes and inequalities would be made apparent and the people would take and interest in their 
correction.  Council made an appropriation, and on September 4 the Record published a supplement of 
twenty-eight pages giving every property and occupation assessment in the city, together with a description
 of the property.

The whole business in city and county created a great deal of stir throughout the year.

Transcribed by Karen McGurk, 12 Jan 2009