The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-04-16
a CARD.

n OARD.
Oryros or KsoKux GA Iaenf : Coks Co.,
i KEoKuK, April IAtA, 1859.
| TO tie Public: N
The following report u ~ Con. on Go,
Lighn appears Among ~ psblishsd pro-
| essdings Of tho Last nsssiag Of the retiring
City Council:
"The Com. on Gas Lights reported In favor u the
payment Of the bill Of the Gas Light Coke Co.,
Of $3.50, for the public lamps during the month Of
October, 1883; also the following preamble and
WnnsnAs. The Ksokak Gas Light 8 Coke Co. have
failed 70 supply the public lamps with gas, and
keep the city lighted, ~ required by their con-
tract with the city, therefore,
ResolveA That In the opinion Of this Council the
Gas Light Coke Co., In consequences Of such fail
urs to provide gas for the pablo lamps and keep
the streets lighted, - agreed BY thsm In the con-
contract With the city, have orfsitsd al right of
way through the streets, lanss, alleys and public
grounds OF the city, and all other immunitiss and
privileges granted said Company In consideration
that it should faithfully perform it, part Of the
contract.
Whereupon, on motion, the bill was allowed, and
the preamble and resolution were adopted"
The statements Of the foregoing prsamble
are suoh fragrant perversion Of truth, that
we are reluctantly compelled, - briefly ~
possible, to state the facts in the case.
Onth 25th Of September, 1855, the City
Council passed m Ordinance, tho End section
Of which provides that, SIN consideration
that Kilbourne 4 Hsrrick, or their successors,
shall, at their own cost, furnish, put up, and
keep in repair without any charge whatever
to the city, lamp posts and Tampa complete"
certain privileges are granted, among which
are the right Of way through tho streets,
lanes, alleys, &c., Of the city.
Section three Of said Ordinance provides
that "7he City will pay said KiIbourns &
Hsrrick, or their successors, annually, the
sum Of thirty-two dollars, in quarterly pay
nents, for the use Of each street lamp, the
lighting, ertinguishing and cleaning the
same, and for the Gas consumed thsren."
Section 4th authorizes the immediate ersc.
of rs lamps.
The present Gas Light Coke Go. il an
incorporated company, to whom has been
duly assigned all tho franchises granted to
persons named in the Ordinance above men,
toned.
| The Gas Works were completed on the 1st
Of January, 1856, and from that time until
the lss Of Nov, 1858, period of nearly
three years, We faithfully complied with our
contract to light the street lamps, though it
was done at . ruinous loss to the Company,
nearly three thousand bushels of coal hay
ing been hauled in wagons, during tho winter
OF '56, from Pennington, and large guam
tity brought from St. Louis in hhds. ct On
expense Of from IS to 40 cents per bushsl,
for coal ofa quality so inferior that two
bushels made no more gas than one bushs
OF Pittsburgh coal, while it took six time,
rs much lime to purify the gas made from it
Our bills against the city have been regu.
larry sent in to the City Council quarter an
ually,--as provided in the third section o.
the Ordinance above mentioned, --on the L.
days Of April, July, October and January
and have been referred to the Committee o,
Gas Lights, who have generally kept then
in their possession from three to six month
before reporting them back to the Council
Is correct. An example Of this viii be see,
10 the extract from the report Of the Ga
Light Committee quoted in the commence
ment OF this communication, whore the Oc
tober bill was "allowed" on the 9th Of April
: The public may be interested to know no,
the City has fulfilled her part of the cor
tract to 'spay quarterly"
For the amount of our bills, which al
"allowsd" by the Council in from three /
SIX months after they are due, We obtai
from the Clerk of the city warrant on Ii
Treasurer for the money, which We regularl
: present and are rs regularly refused pa,
!, ment.
4 Our bills against the City for Street Lamps for
months amounted to.....................48,6 26.:
VI this amount We received in Is46, in
cAsn ......... II 900
: ooia " NJ 7. Hraham, in 1857, at % cents
On the doliar... 6dO.(
EDWARD hilbourne took Of the Company
e Ut par, TO pay city taxes and asses
ments on his individual property, &C.,
! Warrants at the time being at n heavy
i Discount, 2,7so.s
q elusive OF 4.Ss5.4
$s,62s, :
Included in this last amount are the bill
for the last half Of 1857 and nearly all !
1853.
/ Finding it useless to try to obtain any pa
9 from the city, and the hostility-for som