The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-01
Tine Mayor and Third street Con-
tract
For the Gate City

''Daily Tines OF the 10th inst, two or
three paragraphs III relation to my course on
cutting the upper end of Sd street, which
are calculated, if not designed, to mslead
the public, and learning that misrepresenta-
tions have been made by others as to the
truth Of the matter, consider il due to my
self and the public to state the facts.
AT a regular meeting Of the Council On the
18th inst. was instructed to enter into con-
tract with Mr.. Creighton, to grade the up
per end Of 50 street. Mr. Creighton c,l I'd
on me next day, informing me that he was
ready TO make The contract provided he could
give sccurty--otlered 70 give mortgage on
4 SO acres Of land in one Of the back counties
of the State, which ! declined.
finally agreed to take his bond in the sum
Of q think So 200, signed BY himself and
another person (who was to take the contract
with him) rs principals, and Mr.. Creighton
of the house of Creighton & Omer, as
surety.
This was near night on Wednesday the
| 10th inst. He wanted the bond then, in or
der to get it signed by Mr.. Creighton, as he
! (Creighton) would leave town in the morn
ing to be absent several weeks.
The bond was drawn up, and lac took ii
and left the office. The next day the contract
or Creighton came TO the MAYORS Office and
signed the contract, and | also signed IL as
Mayor of the city, taking il for granted that
he had returned the bond the evening before
and left it with the Recorder, as | had in
structed him to do. When the Recorder
came in learned that he had not left the
bond.
The Recorder was not in the Office when
the paper was signed, and never delivered
it to him; laid il in q desk in the Office. In
"a day or two after asked for the paper and
put it into my pocket
inquired two or three times of the Re
corder if the bond had been filed. After
waiting till Tuesday for the filing of the
bond to consummate the contract, | caused
the following notice TO be served on the
Messrs. Creighton
KEoKuk, March %, 1856
MEssRs. j. l. E. CREIGHTON Gents As
you have neglected TO consummate your con-
tract with the city Of keokuk, for the grad
ing Of the upper end of Sd street, by not
giving bond us required, hereby give YOU
htlitt hOt w ploGbSd Will biIu WpFks Ut
good and sufficient reasons, | now deem it
4 nexpedient TO contract for said work Mt
present. ID. w. kIBouRSE, Mayor.
At the meeting Of the Council on the even
ing of the same day, Mr.. G. offered bond
whereupon Aid. Halnes moved that the bond
! be accepted. Aid Patterson moved to amend
| by laying it on the table, which was carried.
| The bond and nothing else was laid on the
| table. But the "Times y would have the
public believe that Aid. lfaines and Mayor
htlbourne had desperate fight, and that in
the struggle "the contract was rescued from
! the hands of the Mayor 1t will ut least he
charitable 70 suppose that such representa-
! tons were made 10 the Editors Of the Times.
I When the bond was presented TO the Council
for their acceptance Aid. EIaiues asked me
Go let him look AT the contract. immediately
took from my pocket the paper and handed
it to him-informed him az tho same time
that 1t was not contract. that no contract
had been contaminated, and further, that
lold Mr.. Creighton that | would make no
contract until he gave security for the faith
full performance Of the work.
II any sharp words passed between Aid.
tlalnes and myself, they grew out If the
question of contract or no contract. the Doe
tor asserting. without a knowledge Of al the
facts, that II WAS d contract, in tho face Of
my declaration that no contract had been
consnmmated.
The whole matter is now with the Council.
l. i for them 70 say whether or not they will
contract for This work ut the present time. or
whether they will let those who are trespass-
ing upon Third street look 70 Aid. II amos.
who told them 10 60 ahead with the work and
pay no attention TO the notice of the Mayor
This, to say the least, is q summary way Of
deciding legal question.
know it i charged that have taken this
course IN opposition TO cutting The Hill .
down. / care as little about cutting down
the Hill, the whole Hill and all the hills in the
/ city, AS any person can. | have no opposi
! ton 10 such measure, if TO do il the general
interests of the city would be advanced.
| said in my inaugural, and | repeat il.
make such city improvements rs are neces-
s4ry, and no mare TIL our railroads are made
Now cannot any tax payer and any reject
ing man in the city see that with the amount
of taxable property ut the present time. it is
not ludieious, is not safe to extend the credit
Of the city any further. If 1t il done, we
shall jeopardise her credit and suspend our
rlllronl enterprises.
In this all classes ought 10 see their true
! interest, Tor II requires no prophet to foretell
that, II even now, day, it should be dec-
ded that the construction Of our railroads
must stop--that We could have no railroad
for ten years 10 come-that property and
business would depreciate one-half in IL
months, although you might expend mil
lion of dollars within the same time in city
improvements.
On the other hand, let the railroads be
made, East, West, North and South, and
then without a dollar expended for city i'm
provements, property and business would in.
crease 100 per cent. in - months
After that all the city improvements de-
sired could and would be made
Yours, ID. W. MELBOURNE.
Teiegraphic News.