A MILL DAM THE SUPPOSED CAUSE THEREOF. A mill dam, owned by two men named Landis, was generally thought to be the cause of this sickness, and the citizens entered upon decisive measures for its removal. Meetings were held, committees appointed, funds were raised and tendered to the Landis's, the mill dam removed, the mill purchased, &c., as will appear by the following extracts from papers furnished by the late Hon. J. C. Bucher and R. F. Kelker, Esq., and published in Rupp's History of Dauphin county : MEETING OF THE CITIZENS. "At a meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Harrisburg, on the 16th day of January, 1795, it was unanimously agreed that two thousand and six hundred pounds be immediately assessed on the property of the citizens of the said borough; that one thousand and six hundred pounds of the said sum be collected on or before the 6th day of March next; that the remaining one thousand pounds be secured to be paid, with interest, in two equal annual instalments, and that the whole (to wit: the £1600 in cash, and the residue in bonds) be tendered to Peter and Abraham Landis, or either of them, proprietors of the mill and other water-works, with the appurtenances thereto belonging, near the borough aforesaid, as a full compensation for their property in the same; and that in case they refuse to accept the said sum as a full compensation for the said mill, with the appurtenances, that then we unanimously agree to prostrate the dam erected on the waters of Paxton creek, for the purpose of conveying water to said mill, and pay our proportionable parts of all legal expenses and damages that may accrue on any suit or suits, indictment or indictments that may be brought or prosecuted in consequence of such act or acts. Witness our hands and date aforesaid: [Here follows the signatures of over one hundred citizens.] The following subscriptions were made by the citizens named to the mill-dam fund, independent of the amount assessed upon their respective properties at the town meeting: "We the subscribers do promise to pay the sums annexed to our names, to Conrod Bombaugh, Esq., as a gratuity towards paying the expense of the purchase or the reduction of the milldam on Paxton creek, next the borough of Harrisburg, and that when called upon. Witness our hands, January 21st, 1795: Wm. Crabbe, Jacob Burckart, Soloman Markel, John Peiffer, John Maclay, Benj. Hunt, 10 00 |