Springville – Graduation exercises of the Springville high school will take place as follows: The Baccalaureate sermon on April 30, and the Commencement exercises, Wednesday evening, May 3rd.  A play will be given by the pupils on Monday evening, May 1, entitled, “Gallager.”  There are seven graduates in the class of 1916, as follows: Vida Edwards, Eleanor Burns, Lillian Stark, Beatrice Smales, Helen Haldaman, Ralph Thomas and Freeman Tingley.

Thompson – Commencement exercises of the Thompson high school will be held in the M. E. church on Tuesday evening, May 2nd, at 8 o’clock. Class motto, “At the Foothills, Climbing.”  Class colors, pink and blue.  Class flower, pink carnation.  Class roll: Harold Wallace, Eloise A. Owens, Marguerite E. Gelatt, Doris A. Crosier.  R. C. Dayton, Principal of High School, Gertrude Southworth, Assistant Principal.  Baccalaureate sermon, Sunday, April 30, Class day, Monday, May 1st.

Hop Bottom – The banquet of the Shakespeare Club on Monday evening, in observance of the Tercentenary Shakespeare Anniversary, was a delightful social and literary event. Loomis Hall was tastefully decorated with the club colors, white and gold, a picture of Shakespeare artistically wreathed with these colors.

East Rush – Our roads are in pretty bad shape owing to the supervisor not opening sluices or ditches last fall, consequently there will have to be more work put on our roads this spring than usual.

Fairdale – On account of the busy time it has been decided to hold Grange at night instead of afternoon.  April 29 maple sugar will be served at this meeting and also a drama entitled, “Married to a Suffragette,” will be presented.  All who stay away will miss a great treat.

North Harford – The chimes of wedding bells tell us that Floyd Brainard and Miss Linda Decker, also Fred Meritt and Miss Bernice Allen, are recently married couples. 

Jackson – Miss J. M. Hovay, of Binghamton, will be at the Central hotel with a nice, full line of millinery goods in the near future.

Franklin Forks – The snow banks are gone and the mail men and milk men are doing business as of old.  Even an automobile was in this place yesterday.

Gelatt – The Women’s Christian Temperance Union met at the home of Sister Bessie Lewis, Friday.  There were ten present.  It was decided to hold an institute in May.  Committee:  Bessie Lewis, Lula Berry and Lena Winnie.  It was also decided to meet at the church in the summer months.  Next meeting, second Friday in May.  Every member is requested to be present as it is paying of dues and election of officers.

Brooklyn – A very unusual case was tried in the county courts last week, when Fred Tiffany, a former Brooklyn man, brought suit for damages against the D. L. & W. railroad company for the death of his wife.  Mr. Tiffany claimed his wife, Ann Tiffany, drove from Brooklyn to Hop Bottom and boarded the milk train enroute for Scranton; that the car was extremely cold, that she had several chills before reaching Scranton and then rode thirty minutes on the street car to the home of her daughter and from the privations of the ride on the defendant’s train, contracted pneumonia and died.  Mr. Tiffany desired pay for the services and companionship of his wife.  Counsel for the defense seemed to have a fixed notion that as he had remarried 18 months after the death, he had not suffered that loss long, but Judge Barber, who presided, instructed the jury that the fact of his remarrying should not enter into their consideration.  The jury gave the plaintiff $559.00. 

Susquehanna – Martin Reilly, of this place, employed as a switchman in the Erie yards, was seriously injured Tuesday morning.  Reilly was aboard a caboose which was being switched from one track to another and in some manner he was knocked from the platform of the caboose and fell under the wheels.  He was rushed to the hospital, where it was found it would be necessary to amputate the right leg above the knee.  The young man’s left leg was terribly bruised and torn but can be saved.

E. Bridgewater Twp. – Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Roach have returned from Lock Haven, where they have resided the past year and will live with Mr. Roach’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. N. O. Roach.  Mr. Roach and his son have entered into partnership in working his farm.

South Ararat – Charles Westgate and Marvin Sampson are the men on their job.  They are hauling milk from Gelatt to Orson.  All the other teamsters quit; too long [a] trip, too much mud and too small pay is the reason and they are right.

Silver Lake Twp. – Jasper T. Jennings wrote in his article “Hurricanes and Big Winds,” the following:  “Miss Blackman, in her very excellent history of Susquehanna county, tells us of a whirlwind that lifted the roof of Anthony North’s framed house, near Mud Lake, in Silver Lake township, many of the painted shingles of which were picked up over in New Milford, and Mr. North’s ‘short breeches’ were found on the limb of a tree in Liberty.”

Montrose - The Poor Old Town Clock – W. L. Simrell, of Brooklyn, N. Y. wrote: “I notice that you have recently adopted for the local page of the Republican a picture of Public Avenue, showing the court house at the head.  I was disappointed when I observed that the engraver had removed the clock.  I feel a particular interest in the old clock, because some 30 years ago it was my privilege each Monday morning to climb up to the tower, wind the clock and see to it.  Won’t you kindly have the picture man put the clock back?”  And in reply: “Nothing would please us, brother, more than to put the old clock back, say to where it was 30 years ago, but the confounded old clock tells a lie nowadays on each of its four faces.  There are no two alike, and the old time-keeper will have to answer to many sins of omission and commission.  There is hope that the present board of commissioners will have new works installed in the clock and then, maybe, the clock will “come back.”

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO – “Rise glorious every future sun, Gild all their following days.”  Married on the 25th inst. [present month] by Rev. Joshua W. Raynsford Esq., in this town, Mr. James Frost to Miss Nancy Reynolds.  ALSO     NOTICE.    ALL persons indebted to Fordham and Rayner for HATS, whose accounts have been three months standing, are requested to call and settle their respective accounts immediately and save costs.    ~~~~~~~

NEW STORE, AND NEW GOODS.   THE subscribers have just received from New York, and are now selling at their New Store, near the Court House, a choice collection of Dry Goods & Groceries, IRON & STEEL, &C.  &C.  which they will sell cheap for cash or approved credit.    HERICK & FORDHAM.      Montrose, April 29, 1816

What happens if a widower makes a Last Will and Testament, later remarries, and then dies without changing his Last Will and Testament to include the new wife?  There is a statute that covers this particular scenario: “If the testator marries after making a will, the surviving spouse shall receive the share of the estate to which he would have been entitled had the testator died intestate, unless the will shall give him a greater share or unless it appears from the will that the will was made in contemplation of marriage to the surviving spouse.”  20 Pa. C.S. § 2507(3).

The intent of the law rests in a public policy consideration – it is assumed that the deceased spouse would not intentionally disinherit the surviving spouse from his or her estate.  It provides the surviving spouse with his or her intestate share of the estate.  The Will itself can counter this presumption by demonstrating that the testator was contemplating marriage to the surviving spouse at the time the Will was executed and the testator made clear that he or she was limiting (or excluding) the future spouse’s share of his or her estate.  In the absence of a clear indication that the testator was specifically considering the future spouse in the Will, the surviving spouse will get his or her intestate share of the estate.  In a situation where the deceased spouse had children, the surviving spouse’s intestate share would be fifty percent of the probated entire estate.

Does this statute impact upon other estate planning tools such as revocable trusts?  The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently addressed this question for the first time.  The facts of the case were very simple – and probably common in the estate planning world.  David Kulig created a revocable trust in 2001 for the benefit of his wife, Joanne, and their two children.  Joanne died in 2010 survived by David and their two children.  In December 2011, David remarried Mary Jo.  Even though his attorney had recommended that David enter into a prenuptial agreement with Mary Jo prior to the new marriage, David did not do so.  Approximately 15 months after his new marriage, David died leaving Mary Jo as his widow.

David had made provisions for Mary Jo prior to his death – namely, a $1.5 million payment to her from a retirement account.  Mary Jo then made a claim for her share of David’s probated estate as David’s Will had been made prior to his remarriage.  David’s two children agreed that Mary Jo was entitled to 50% of the probated estate (the assets governed by the Will) under Section 2507.  Mary Jo’s fifty percent share of the probate estate would net her another million dollars.  Mary Jo then sought to get fifty percent of the revocable trust that had been created in 2001, which had a value of $3.2 million.

The revocable trust provided that upon the death of David and Joann, the two children would get the trust assets.  Mary Jo wanted 50% share of the $3.2 million that was held in the revocable trust contending that Section 2507 applied to it as well.  The children argued that the revocable trust was not a will (or a testamentary instrument as it was revocable) and that Section 2507 did not apply to it.  In response, Mary Jo noted that the Legislature had enacted a separate statute that required in inter vivos trusts (the revocable trust in this case) to be treated in the same manner as testamentary trusts (which are governed by the rules related to wills such as Section 2507).

In considering those statutes, the Superior Court concluded that the Legislature had intended inter vivos trusts to be treated the same as testamentary instruments – and Section 2507 applied to the revocable trust that David created in 2001 – over a decade before he ever met Mary Jo – and resulted in a substantial windfall to Mary Jo, who had spent 15 months as the wife of David, and resulted in David’s children losing a very large portion of their father’s estate.

The Superior Court was not blind to the potential inequities of its decision, and provided the following closing footnote: “Whether the result achieved by this decision is just under the facts of this case, where [Mary Jo] receives approximately $120,000 for each day of her marriage to [David] is not for us to opine.  The Legislature is free to revisit and refine its clear directive as it sees fit.”  This decision is simply another reminder of the importance of careful estate planning to assure that your testamentary wishes are clearly defined and enforceable.

Drug co-pays too high? Here’s why.

Jim’s doctor has just prescribed him a medication for diabetes that he thinks his insurance pays very little on. He tells the pharmacist that the co-pay - $50 – for the medication he needs is too high. “I don’t get why I am paying for insurance if I have to pay for my medicines,” says Jim.

A co-payment, or co-pay, is the price you pay when you visit the doctor, to share with your insurance company the costs of your healthcare. Co-pays vary by policy, and can change if you see a specialist instead of your primary doctor, or seek treatment out of your provider's network. Prescription drug coverage also uses co-pays, which can increase for specialty medicines, and decrease for generic drugs. Incidentally, to encourage healthy behavior, many insurers waive co-pays for preventive care, such as certain vaccines and tobacco cessation products.

Back to Jim: Let's say Jim goes to the doctor with a case of bronchitis. His doctor charges a $25 co-pay for the visit. When Jim subsequently takes the prescription for his bronchitis medicine to the pharmacy, he will pay a $5 co-pay to the pharmacy. His total out-of-pocket costs are $30, and his insurance company will reimburse the pharmacy and the doctor for the difference between the co-pay and the cost of treatment.

In the case of his diabetes medication, for which he has a $50 co-pay, the pharmacist informs him that the drug actually costs $1,100 and that the insurance paid for 95% of it. Even so, many people cannot afford a $50 co-pay each month. In this case, ask the doctor if there is a more economical medication for the disease or condition. Because doctors may not have a clue what the medication costs, go to the pharmacy and have the prescription run through your insurance. If the co-pay is too high, ask the pharmacist to recommend a similar medication – usually a generic in the same drug class. Often, the pharmacist is only too happy to call your doctor and request a change. And the pharmacist can reverse the more expensive medication right there on his computer. You don’t have to pay for the more expensive medicine plus the cheaper version.

You may get a prescription card in the mail promising deep discounts on drugs. Two things here: if your name is not on it, it is probably not going to save you anything and, in fact, can jack up the price. Toss it. Also, while you can go to a drug’s website and get a coupon which promises incredible savings or a zero co-pay, read the fine print. The coupon may be good for a limited time, socking you with a big price tag after the expiration date. Ask your doctor if s/he has samples of a new drug to see if it will even work before you pay for it.

Bottom line: do not be ashamed to speak up and say you cannot afford the medication. In some cases, a switch can be made. However, the more expensive drug may be necessary to save your quality of life. 

Ron Gasbarro, PharmD is a pharmacist, medical writer, and principal at Rx-Press.com. Write him at ron@rx-press.com.

CHAPTER 6 – Building, Growing and the Civil War

In 1853 the town of Susquehanna Depot was formally established. The town was really starting to boom at this point. It took 3 years to complete the rail line from New York City to Lake Erie; the initial excursion in May of 1851 was boarded by President Millard Fillmore, Daniel Webster and other political dignitaries. It is believed that Daniel Webster sat in a rocking chair on a flatbed to really enjoy the beautiful scenery. A brief stop at the Cascade Bridge to take that view in and a stop right on top of the Starrucca Viaduct found President Fillmore stepping off the train really impressed with the view and the new bridge. What a view it must have been. Another stop, 2 miles away at the rapidly expanding train station in Susquehanna Depot, prompted a few brief remarks by the President before he continued westbound.

This was the very first locomotive built at the Erie Shops, Susquehannna, circa 1868. By 1880 they were producing about 5 of these a month.

Construction of the Shops began in 1863 and completed 2 years later at a cost of 1.25 million, tools and machinery cost an additional $500,000. The buildings covering 8 acres and were acknowledged to be the most extensive and complete of their kind in the country. Also built was the all brick railroad station that housed a 2400 volume circulating library, a reading room and lecture room, and a 75 room hotel with a fine dining room so people could stop en route to eat and sleep with a choice to continue on or catch their train the next day.

I must admit that there is a lapse of any significant history after this initial train ride in 1851 to right after the civil war but lots of wooden structures were being built. Workers from the viaduct most likely took up other railroad jobs, many settling right here in the Tri-Boro area. Jobs were aplenty and soon these new families made much more than a dollar a day working in the shops, opening new businesses, and home building. It was booming here.

The Starrucca House rooms and their windows are noticeable on the second floor; there were plenty of alternative places to stay by the 1870's.

Jumping ahead a little, by 1886 there were 6 dry good stores, 2 tailoring shops, 6 millinery stores, 3 jewelry stores, 2 furniture stores, a music store, 1 bakery, 2 stove and tin stores, 5 hotels, 2 wagon shops, 4 meat stores, 2 marble shops, 2 steam mills, 3 banks, 6 barber shops, 2 newspapers, 5 churches, 4 schools, 7 doctors, 3 lawyers and many others.

During the World Wars, I know that POW’s (German) had indeed come through the area on troop trains but I was curious if any Confederate troops came through the area during the Civil War. After a good tip from Dana Rockwell referring to a train accident along the Erie line near Shohola and Lackawaxen, PA, my research led me to one of the most tragic train wrecks in our country’s history. 833 Confederate prisoners, from the battle of Cold Harbor along with 128 Union guards on 18 railroad cars headed to the POW Camp Rathbun in Elmira, NY were delayed by 4 hours after a few prisoners briefly escaped in Jersey City. As they headed into the area north of Shohola, a yard master allowed a heavy coal laden train from Hawley, PA to proceed on the same track. A head on collision on a sharp curve immediately killed all the engineers and 37 prisoners; the first 3 rail cars bearing the blunt of the telescoping engines and cars. 65 eventually perished, most with severe burns and crushing injuries, including 44 prisoners, 17 guards and 4 rail workers. Among the confusion afterwards, 5 prisoners escaped and were never seen or heard of again. Also, the dispatcher who let the train through disappeared never to be seen or found again. The dead were immediately buried along the side of the accident, but in 1911 they were exhumed and moved to Elmira, NY and would have come right through Susquehanna Depot. A few days after the accident many surviving prisoners with severe injuries were moved and went across the Starrucca Viaduct to Elmira, NY POW camp, where doctors were waiting to perform additional amputations and medical care that was not the best at the time. Typically these POW camps, both North and South would lose thousands to sickness and poor nourishment. So, yes hundreds, if not thousands of Confederate POW’s did travel through our area, probably with no stops during a straight shot from New Jersey to Elmira to be interned at Camp Rathbun.

In 1863 the shops were expanded and finished 2 years later, along with the all brick railroad station, named the Starrucca House. At this time there was no berthing on the trains so accommodations like this were constructed all along the existing rail line. This picture is from about 1872.

Soon the Susquehanna area was referred to as the City of Susquehanna and Binghamton was just a town. As time went on, that changed.  Geographically Binghamton had a great advantage over Susquehanna, being much flatter along the river areas and the merging of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers was another great advantage. Susquehanna, being known as the City of Stairs was actually a hindrance to the growth of the town some years later. By the early 1880’s, there was a population of over 5000 here.

Next Chapter – More Churches And Schools.