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No. 27 October Session 1879
Borough of Waynesburg, Removal of the Dead
The petition of the undersigned citizens of the Borough of Waynesburg
respectfully represents: That many years ago, a public burial
ground was selected and fenced in on what is known as "the Commons"
in Waynesburg, containing about one acre of ground. Interments
were made in it for many years until there remained no further
room for interments. About the year 1870 the Borough authorities
owing to the location of the public school building, the College,
the spread of the town beyond the said ground and the fact
further interments would not be made, without burying
upon those already buried, passed an ordinance making it
unlawful to inter any body of a deceased person within the
Corporate limits of said Borough. Since said ordinance was
passed there have no interments made in said burial
grounds and the fences around it, have almost entirely disappeared,
the tombstones been leveled to the ground, the ground has become
a common herding place for the cows, and other cattle of
the town and by reason of neglect has altogether become
a nuisance and a disgrace to the town. Your petitioners
further represent, that no person or corporation is legally
authorized to take charge of said ground. They therefore
pray the court to make an order or decree, directing the
proper authorities of the borough of Waynesburg to remove
the dead from said burial ground to some other properly
regulated burial ground, and make such other order as in
the premises your Honors may deem proper, and they will comply