The News of Richmond Hill

New York, 1895

James Paulson is recovering from an attack of the grip.

Mrs. Ella Davis, residing on the hill, is seriously ill with typhoid fever.

The daughter of Charles B. Phelps, of Hamilton avenue, is ill with pneumonia.

Captain George Bissell, of Johnson avenue, is still confined to his home by rheumatism.

The boy choir of the Church of the Resurrection will sing for the first time on Easter Sunday.

The widow of the late Edwin O. Perrin, formerly of this place, died in New York on Friday from heart failure.

Ransom Powell, youngest son of Mrs. S. A. Powell, of Beach street, died on Monday after a short illness from pneumonia.

The Congregational society held a sociable at the residence of Mrs. F. W. Dow, on Jefferson avenue, Thursday evening.

Henry F. Eldert, son of John H. Eldert, of Lefferts' avenue, who has been seriously ill with pneumonia, is considered to be out of danger.

The engagement of Mr. William C. Haugaard and Miss Nettie Miller, of Morris Park, is announced. The marriage will take place in April.

It is stated that the legality of the election for the incorporation of the village of Richmond Hill, affirmed last week by the general term of the supreme court, will be carried to the court of appeals.

The citizens' non-partisan league have called a meeting for March 19, at the Congregational church, to take action relating to the spring election. It is rumored that they will join forces with the Good Government association of Jamaica.

Mrs. Josephine Brown, wife of Jacob M. Brown, died at her home on Lefferts' avenue on Saturday. Funeral services were held at her late residence Tuesday afternoon, the Rev. A. W. Byrt officiating. The interment was in Cypress Hills Cemetery.

A tax-payer of this village sent the following letter of protest to Receiver of Taxes Haviland:

Henry M. Haviland, Receiver of Taxes:

DEAR SIR — Enclosed find certified check made payable to your order for $31.68, amount of taxes set down against my property in Richmond Hill. While paying it, I protest on principle against the item of $2.16 for "road tax." The principle is not unfamiliar to American history: "Taxation without representation." In the nine years during which I have lived at Richmond Hill never once has a shovel or a hoe been put to my road, or any other road within the limits that I know of by employe of town or county, though I have paid the tax right along. The American Union came into existence as a protest against such robbery. So did the incorporated village of Richmond Hill, at last triumphant over its shortsighted or malignant enemies. By and by we shall be out of the mud. I pay this last item of unjust taxation with my disrespect to those who would have had us stick there forever. Truthfully yours, JACOB A. RIIS.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, March 15, 1895, p. 8.