USA > Pennsylvania > Lycoming County > Picture of Lycoming County, 1st ed > Part 11
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At Renovo a great crowd greeted the raft. Hundreds of school children boarded it in small groups, and in a ceremony on the river bank, the raftsmen were given the keys to the town.
Lock Haven was the next port of call. The run from Renovo was completed by 3:30 P.M., on Friday, March 18th. The rivermen were entertained at a banquet by the Chamber of Commerce and the lumber pioneers were eulogized.
On Saturday the voyagers were thrilled when Harry Con- nor, the chief pilot, shot the raft over a five foot drop at the Lock Haven dam. The feat was accomplished without a mishap and a few minutes later the raft was tied up long enough to take on several passengers.
Between Lock Haven and Williamsport large crowds watched the progress of the raft. Shortly after 1 P.M. the craft slid under the bridge at Jersey Shore at a speed of approximately four miles an hour, but it was 8 o'clock when it docked at
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Russell Inn, first house erected in Williamsport, 1796 Lycoming County
Maynard Street, Williamsport. Because of the hour, formal celebration of its arrival was curtailed, but the excursionists were welcomed by the Mayor and members of City Council.
Shortly after daybreak the next day, Sunday, crowds of persons gathered at the riverbanks to see the raft. They watched with anxious eyes as it glided gracefully through the chute and tied up at the Market Street bridge. Here more passengers were taken on and the journey continued. As the current whirled the raft along, those aboard were in high spirits. Except for a slight scraping against one of the highway bridge piers north of Muncy there was no portent of the danger which was to inject tragedy into the gay voyage.
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As the raft neared the Muncy railroad bridge the pas- sengers saw the huge crowd which jammed the span. Suddenly, Ord Tonkin, a lookout, yelled that the raft was heading for one of the bridge piers, and the riders braced themselves for the expected jar.
With a loud crack the bow of the raft plowed into the abutment. The tail swung around, hurling nearly everyone on board into the swift icy water. Men floundered in the wreckage, trying to grasp a piece of timber for support. Rescue parties saved thirty-eight persons. The bodies of the seven drowned were recovered only after days of dragging and dyna- miting the river.
An inquest held by Coroner Thomas C. Brandon, of Ly- coming County, declined to fix responsibility for the disaster.
Later the raft was repaired and with John B. Myers as pilot and Edward Winner as head steersman, it was floated to Old Heck's Mill, eight miles north of Harrisburg. Here the logs were manufactured into lumber and sold.
QUESTIONS CHAPTER XIII
1. What is the area of Lycoming County?
2. What is the population of Lycoming County?
3. How many farms were there in the county according to the 1930 census?
4. What county groups are active in historical work?
5. Make a list of the men from Lycoming County who have made great contributions to education.
6. Why is Lycoming County suitable for hunting and fishing?
7. What was the height of the water in Williamsport during the flood of 1936?
8. How was relief given to flood victims?
9. What agencies aided flood sufferers?
10. What was the reason for the journey of the "Last Raft"?
APPENDIX A Civil Government
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
BEFORE the Declaration of Independence the Province of Pennsylvania was governed by the Penns and their repre- sentatives or governors. Since most of these officers were sent from abroad and hence were not Pennsylvanians, their services were not satisfactory either to the Penns or the colonists. Op- position to this kind of government increased through the years until November 1765, when an envoy was sent to England to present the situation to the King. The controversy did not terminate until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, when the proprietary government ended and was replaced by the State Government. At that time Lycoming County was a part of Northumberland, with Sunbury as its county seat. During the first years of the war the people living in the territory which now embraces Lycoming County were so demoralized by the demands made upon them by Colonial authorities and by Indian troubles that the machinery of civil government broke down. It was not until the close of the war that the administration of justice was reestablished on a firm basis.
On April 13, 1795, Lycoming County was created. Soon afterwards, governmental machinery was set up and put in mo- tion. With certain changes, improvements, and additions this system of civil government still exists. Today the political divisions of Lycoming County consist of one incorporated city, nine boroughs and forty-two townships, each division to a degree, having its own system of government. Lycoming is a
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county of the sixth class. (By Act of Assembly, July 10, 1919, it was declared that those counties having a population of fifty thousand and more but less than one hundred thousand inhabi- tants, shall constitute counties of the sixth class). Its govern- mental set-up conforms with that of other counties of that classification.
Townships are incorporated under the general townships laws of Pennsylvania, and derive their powers from these laws. Williamsport was designated the county seat during the first year of the county's existence, and the public buildings of the county were erected there. The first jail was erected in 1801 and the first court house in 1804.
The court house contains all the county offices. The most important offices of the county government, with a brief outline of the duties, powers, and functions of each, the term of office, the amount of compensation, and the method of selection are described below. For more complete information it is sug- gested that the student consult the Pennsylvania Code.
SHERIFF
In listing the rank of the various officials who comprise the purely county officers, outside of the judiciary, the sheriff is the highest ranking executive officer. The designation is de- rived from the two words, shire (county) and reeve (admin- istrator). The authority of the Sheriff is displaced only when martial law is declared by the Governor of the State. He is elected by majority vote of the electors of the county and is for- bidden by state law to "succeed himself." The salary is $4,000 a year. The chief duties of the office are to conduct Sheriff's sales, execute judgments and writs, execute orders of the court, deputize persons in case of riots or emergencies, and keep in custody all prisoners in the county jail. He must produce before the court when so ordered by the court, any persons legally com-
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mitted to his care. The Sheriff is empowered with the authority to make arrests for violations of the law; has custody of prison- ers being sent to other institutions, and he must be present when the jury commissioners make up the jury lists. He is assisted by two deputies. Lycoming County has had but one woman Sheriff. Mrs. Mable Gray, widow of Thomas M. Gray, was appointed by Governor Pinchot, in 1923, to serve the unex- pired term of her husband. She was the first woman Sheriff in the State.
CORONER
Second in rank among the county officials is the Coroner. The office is elective, for a term of four years. His most im- portant duty is to investigate accidental deaths, homicides, and other deaths not believed to be due to natural causes, and make a report with recommendations to the District Attorney. Only the Coroner has the authority to arrest a Sheriff. In the event of the sheriff's death the coroner automatically assumes that office and serves until a successor is appointed by the Governor. The Governor also appoints a successor to the Coroner in the event of death or resignation. There is no stipulated annual salary, the compensation being based upon a fee and mileage system.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
He is the chief legal representative of the Commonwealth in criminal cases for the county. It is the duty of the District Attorney and his assistants to present the Commonwealth's evidence to the Grand Jury, and where a "true bill" or indict- ment is found, to represent the Commonwealth in a trial before a Petit Jury. He is elected for a term of four years at an annual salary of $3,125. By a recent act of Assembly, the salary will be increased to $3,800 per annum, with two assistants whose salaries will be $2,500 and $2,000, per year, respec-
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tively. In case of death or resignation, a successor is appointed by the President Judge.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The Board of County Commissioners is composed of three members, elected for a term of four years at an annual salary of $3,000 each, not more than two of whom may be of the same political party. They are in reality the managers of the business affairs of the county. Besides being the custodians of all county property, their office acts as a clearing-house for all county transactions. All county funds, which in the case of Lycoming County, amount to nearly three-fourths of a million dollars annually, are disbursed through this office. The commissioners also keep the permanent registration records of the voters of the county. If a vacancy occurs, a successor is appointed by the court to serve the unexpired term. A chief clerk to the commis- sioners is appointed by the commissioners at a salary set by the Salary Board. This board is composed of the county commis- sioners, the county treasurer and three county auditors. It is their duty to fix the compensation of the deputies, clerks, jani- tors, and other minor employees of the county.
PROTHONOTARY
This office in Lycoming County carries four commissions from the Governor of the State: Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, Clerk of the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and Clerk of Naturalization Court. Its duties are varied and important. All court records except those of Orphans' Court are kept in this office. As an agent of the State, the Prothonotary collects taxes on tran- scripts and writs, for which he receives a small fee in addition to his yearly salary of $4,000. The office is elective for a term of four years and in event of death a successor is appointed
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by the court. A deputy is appointed by the Prothonotary and has full authority during the Prothonotary's absence.
REGISTER AND RECORDER
He is elected for a term of four years at an annual salary of $4,000. In addition he receives fees for his Commonwealth work. The duties of this important office are varied. As Re- corder of Deeds it is the duty of this office to receive and enter for record all deeds, mortgages and other acknowledged legal instruments, such as power of attorney and various forms of releases, and to place them on record in the various dockets fur- nished by the county for that purpose. This officer also permits the satisfaction of mortgages by proper authority, and upon proper proof of payment, so marks it on the indices of both the mortgagor and mortgagee. He records all commissions of coun- ty officials, including aldermen, justices of the peace, and no- taries public and records the date when commissions were re- ceived by him from the Secretary of the Commonwealth. As Register of Wills, he issues letters testamentary, enters them in the proper dockets, and indexes and files them in the estate of decedent. He receives for record all partial and final accounts of executors, administrators and trustees under wills, also final accounts of guardians of minors, properly advertises and certi- fies these accounts, and presents them to the court for confirma- tion. As Clerk of Orphans' Court, he receives and records all orders issued by the Judges of Orphans' Court. He also receives, files, and confirms all reports of auditors appointed by the Court. Among his duties is the issuance of marriage licenses.
COUNTY TREASURER
The treasurer is elected for a term of four years at an an- nual salary of $4,000. He is forbidden by law to succeed him- self and is bonded to both the State and county. The State requires a bond of $10,000; the amount of the county bond
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is fixed by the Board of County Commissioners. This is a highly important office, since the County Treasurer receives all county funds and disburses them upon proper orders or vouchers from the County Commissioners. He issues the following li- censes: Hunting, fishing, dog, mercantile, dance hall, portable grinding mill and detective. He has two deputies, appointed by himself. Their salaries are set by the Salary Board.
COUNTY SOLICITOR
He is appointed by the County Commissioners for the length of their term of office, which is four years. He acts as legal adviser for county officials, mainly the County Commissioners. His salary at present is $1,500 a year.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
This officer is elected every four years by a majority vote of the School Directors of the county, who also fix the salary to be paid him by the state. The salary is $4,500 yearly, plus travel allowance. His chief duties are to inspect school grounds and buildings and to report any violation of the provisions re- garding safety and sanitation to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, to determine the qualification of teachers and to make periodical visits to the schools; to plan the curric- ulum and to supervise the School System generally. Reports of the secretaries of the school districts are inspected and ap- proved by the County Superintendent of Schools, and upon his recommendation are approved by the County School Board. The County School Board is an innovation, having been or- ganized by a recent Act of Legislature (1937). It is composed of five members of the County School Directors Association, and elected by the members of that body. The term of office is fixed by State Law at six years. It is empowered to merge school districts and to consolidate schools and transportation
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routes. The County School Directors Association is composed of the directors of the various school districts of the county. Its functions are to meet at least once each year, receive reports from the County Superintendent, elect officers and, once every four years, elect a County Superintendent and fix his rate of pay. In case of a vacancy, a successor is appointed by the State Super- intendent of Public Instruction. The jurisdiction of the County Superintendent extends only to the districts of the Third and Fourth Classes, and does not include the City Schools. South Williamsport and Jersey Shore are the only Third Class dis- tricts in the county. All others are Fourth Class. An Assistant County Superintendent is appointed by the County Super- intendent with the consent of the County Board and is com- missioned by the State Department of Public Instruction. The salary of $3,500 per annum is fixed by the County Directors Association. The duties and authority are the same as those of the County Superintendent, who is responsible for the Assistant.
COUNTY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION ADVISER
The Adviser is appointed by the County Superintendent of Schools and paid from State funds supplemented by Federal appropriations. The amount of compensation is set by the De- partment of Public Instruction. The present salary is $2,640 a year. The duties of this office are fourfold: (a) to provide in- struction in secondary education where a full time supervisor is not employed; (b) to promote interest in agricultural educa- tion and organize new departments; (c) to supervise the work of local teachers of agriculture, develop a work program and submit reports to the State Department of Agriculture; (d) to develop a long term program of agricultural education among out-of-school youths. He also supervises a student cooperative market at Growers Market, Market Street, Williamsport.
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COUNTY HOME ECONOMICS EDUCATIONAL ADVISER
She is also appointed by the County Superintendent of Schools. The salary is fixed by the State Department of Public Instruction and paid by the state, which receives a supplemen- tary appropriation from the Federal Government. The present salary is $2,640 a year. The duties of this office are to supervise the teaching of Home Economics in the schools of the county and once each week personally teach a Home Economics class in one of the schools not having a regular teacher. The course includes homemaking, cooking and dietetics, sewing and per- sonal hygiene.
COUNTY DETECTIVE
The Detective is the County Police Officer and is appointed by the District Attorney at an annual salary of $1,920. He works under the direction of the District Attorney, and co- operates with the police officers of the various political sub- divisions of the county. He has full authority to make arrests and to prosecute cases. The major part of his work consists of investigations and the serving of Commonwealth papers.
JURY SYSTEM
The Jury System of Lycoming County conforms to the State Law pertaining to counties of the sixth class. Two Jury Commissioners are elected by the voters of the county to serve for a period of four years. They must not be members of the same political party. It is their duty to supply a list of names, picked from each ward, precinct or township, in proportion to the total number of voters of the district. These names are placed in the jury wheel until the jury lists are made up, when a number, determined at the previous session of court, are drawn by the Jury Commissioners in the presence of the Sheriff. There are three distinct types of jurors - Grand Jurors, Petit Jurors
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and Traverse Jurors. The first twenty-four names drawn are selected as Grand Jurors.
According to the law governing juries, a juror must be a qualified voter and may serve only once in three years. Petit and Grand Jurors are paid three dollars per diem, plus travel allowance. The same method is used in the selection of jurors for both criminal and civil trials. Traverse Jurors sit in the trial of civil cases and twelve of them constitute a jury. Before a criminal case is tried the evidence is submitted to a Grand Jury, composed of twenty-three persons, together with the in- dictment which has been prepared by the District Attorney or his assistants.
The court always excuses from duty one of the twenty-four Grand Jurors so as to avoid the possibility of a tie vote in pass- ing on an indictment. After the evidence is heard the Grand Jury either finds a "true bill," or ignores the charge and makes a return of "not a true bill." Before an indictment may be ignored by the Grand Jury, all witnesses for the prosecution must be heard. A Grand Jury may, on its own initiative, in- vestigate any county institution and offer its recommendations to the court.
In times of emergency, such as labor disturbances, riots, murders, etc., the District Attorney may convene a Grand Jury to investigate the circumstances and advise him concerning ap- propriate action. Petit Juries are composed of twelve persons, drawn to hear evidence and render a verdict in cases where the Grand Jury has returned a "true bill." To render a verdict a jury must agree unanimously. The Coroner's Jury is composed of six persons, drawn up and subpoenaed by the Sheriff of the county. It is their duty to hear the evidence and render a verdict in cases where the coroner has original jurisdiction, such as deaths of persons from other than natural causes. Their findings are frequently used as a basis upon which to determine if crim- inal action should be taken by the District Attorney.
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A PICTURE OF LYCOMING COUNTY
COUNTY AUDITORS
There are three auditors elected by voters, two by the major party and the third from the minority. They are paid six dollars a day. Their duties are to examine the books and reports of all county officers and make a report to the court.
BOARD OF VIEWERS
This Board is composed of seven members, appointed by the court. It must contain one lawyer and the county surveyor. Its chief duties are the settling of damage claims, occasioned by the construction of new roads, the vacating of old roads, and any other duties which might be ordered by the court. The rate of pay is $10 a day. The County Surveyor, elected every four years, serves on the Board. His duty is to survey county land. For his work he receives $6 a day.
QUESTIONS - APPENDIX A - COUNTY GOVERNMENT
1. When was Lycoming County created?
2. How many townships are there in the county? How many boroughs?
3. What is a county of the sixth class?
4. When was the first jail in the county erected?
5. Make an outline of the various officers of the county showing how elected, terms of office and most important function of each.
6. Make an outline showing how education is carried on in the county.
7. Name the various types of jurors.
8. What action must be taken by a Grand Jury before a criminal case may be tried?
CITY GOVERNMENT
W ILLIAMSPORT was incorporated as a city in 1866. Un- til 1914 its government was patterned after the state gov- ernment, in that it had two legislative bodies. These were called the Common and Select Councils. The Common Council, comparable to the State General Assembly, was composed of two councilmen from each ward of the city. The Select Council, which was likened to the State Senate, was made up of one representative from each ward. Hence the Select Council con- sisted of as many members as there were wards in the city and the Common Council double that number.
This system was replaced by a commission form of Gov- ernment, under the Clark Act of 1914, which stipulates that cities of the third class (in which group Williamsport belongs) shall elect four Councilmen and one Mayor to serve for a term of four years.
The salary of a Councilman is fixed at $3,000 a year while that of the Mayor is $3,500 a year. Two of the Council- men are to be elected every two years, so that at all times there are two old members if necessary.
Under this system of operation the city government is divided into five departments, namely: Public Safety; Ac- is divided into five departments, namely: Public Safety; Ac- counts and Finance; Public Affairs; Highways and Parks; and Public Property. The head of the Department of Public Affairs which includes the Police Department is always the Mayor. The heads of the four remaining departments are elected and their duties assigned to them by the members of the council at the inaugural meeting of the body, which is held the first Mon- day in January following their election.
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MAYOR
To qualify as Mayor the candidate must be at least twenty- five years of age and shall have been a resident of the state for four years and of the city at least one year prior to election. He is also required to live in the city during his full term of office. The Mayor is the Chief Executive of the city and as such his duties are many. It is his duty to manage the affairs of the city in the best interests of the majority of its citizens, to be vigi- lant and active in the maintenance of peace and in the enforce- ment of the laws of the city and of the Commonwealth. He has the power to prevent violence by mobs, suppress riots, or deal with any other emergency that may arise. The Mayor supervises the conduct of all city officials and examines all com- plaints against them. In case of violation of law or neglect of duty, he metes out proper punishment or reports the infraction to the city council. To make less difficult the performance of this function he is empowered to subpoena such persons, books, or papers as he may consider necessary. He may call upon officials of the city or heads of departments for any information he may require and from time to time, as he may deem necessary he may communicate to the council a statement of the affairs of the city and offer such recommendations as he believes to be in the best interests of its citizens. He has the power of an alderman in criminal cases within the city, but not in civil cases, except in relation to fines, penalties, or forfeitures imposed by virtue of ordinance, or the laws of the Commonwealth. He is empowered to take acknowledgments of any instrument in writ- ing, perform marriage ceremonies, and administer oaths and affirmations.
All actions or proceedings taken before him are entered in a docket and these entries may be used in evidence in the same manner as the docket entries and transcripts of aldermen. For this work he receives the same fees and costs as is allowed by
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law to an alderman, but he is required to pay them over to the City Treasurer monthly.
DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS AND FINANCE
The member of city council designated as Director of Accounts and Finance is Vice-Mayor and during the absence of the Mayor is authorized to exercise all rights and powers of that office. In case of absence or inability of the Director of Ac- counts and Finance to act, the council designates another of its members to serve as Mayor. The Director of Accounts and Finance must be a competent accountant. His chief duties are to keep the accounts of the city and, in conjunction with the City Controller, to pay all bills, salaries, etc.
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