The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-12-10
The Water Power Improvement.

a proposition submitted in the City Council
on Tuesday evening. Alderman Lynch Of
fered the following preamble and resolution +:
Waercas, on the Goth dag of July, 1859, the
citizens Of Ottawa did by vote authorize the
Mayor to Issue bonds of the city to the amount
Of 100000. to be paid to the party who should
agree to accomplish fully heimprovemsnt of the
water Power II Ottawa;
Ind ,cltereas w. II. W. Cushman, for and in
consideration of the said $4,000, did ON tho I'd
day of August 1863, covenant land agree with
the city Of Ottawa to improve the said water
power without unreasonable or unnecessary de.
lay;
And aoiierGaS nearly seventeen months have
elapsed aimee the city so contracted with w. H.
W. Cushman and yet work on the improvement
has not been commenced although circumstances
in the interim has been most favorable to the
execution of the work;
And Whereas the best interests of the city re-
Sluire that the improvement be made soon a.
possible, and other responsible parties stand
resdy to undertake the work and agree to COM
plete the same during the year 1871, In case the
city will place the 100000 bonds in their hands:
Resolced. That committee of three be appoint
ed who shall wait upon Mr.. Cushmsn and re.
quest that he assign and transfer the bonds Of
the city for 100000 in his hands to person to
be designated by the committee said bonds to be
held by such party designated until he shall, BY
order of the council, be directed to pay them
over to the party or parties with whom the city
may contract for the improvement of the water
power at Ottawa.
There is no question, had this resolution
been put to vote that it would have been
adopted. On the suggestion, however, that
in a matter of such Importance it would be
better to make haste slowly, and that tn
wishes of the people of Ottawa in the premis-
es had better be consulted, final action on the
resolution was deferred tor week or two.
with the understanding that, in the meantime,
the Mayor should call q public meeting of the
citizens Of Ottawa, to whom the proposed
action Of the council should be made known.
And now, before such meeting is held, it
would be exceedingly pleasant to us could We
Jay before our people the exact situation of
this water power business and give them some
tangible object towards which their deliber.
ations and action IN the proposed public
meeting should be directed On that head,
however, we are sorry to say we have no
valuable information to impart that would be
new TO them. The city, some II months ago, |
entered into a contract with Mr.. Cushman for |
the construction of this water power That |
contract binds him to do the work without |
unreasonable or unnecessary delay" The |
'delay in not commencing the work during |
1869 may, on account of the continued high |
water that season, have been "necessarv." |
The "dclay' from making no commencement |
during the season Of 1870, which was excep.
tionally favorable in every respect, oas 'un-
reasonable and unnecessary" beyond dispute
or controversy. Mr.. Cushman, we understand,
nov denies tins, On the ground that when, in
August or September last, he concluded to
commence the work he found unexpected
difficulties thrown in his way by the corpor-
.ators Of the Ottawa Manufacturing Company,
under whose charter he proposed to do the
work, and which charter, tor that purpose,
was to be conveyed to him. This il matter
with which, we must beg leave to suggest,
the people Of Ottawa have no concern. Mr..
Cushman was one of the corporators and an
important part Of the Ottawa Manufacturing
Company himself, and before he entered into
the contract with the city ought to have
known how he could treat with his colleagues
in that company. Or, if their demands of him
are unreasonable and outrageous why not
state the fact candidly to the people of Ottawa,
who, in the anxiety to see their work 60 on, we
have no doubt, would have found means to
remove the ''hitch."
But the corperators, on the other hand,
deny point blank that they have cast any
obstacles in hisway. On thecontrary, they aver
shat they have always stood ready not only to
transfer 70 Mr.. Cushman their charter, but to
assist him in every other way in their power,
whenever he manifested a disposition to go
on with the work in accordance with his con.
tract with the city,
And thus the matter stands. Mr. Cushman
says he is ready and anxious to 90 on with the
work "in accordance with his contract with
the city whenever the corporators OF the
Ottawa Manufacturing Company do what is
required OF them. The corporators say, they
are ready to meet all the requirements Mr..
c. needs whenever he will proceed to do the
work Sin accordance with his contract with |
the city; ," or, if Mr. Cushman desires To aban. |
don his contract, they are ready to take it off |
his hands and enter into bonds with thc civ