The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-08-20
Water Power Again.

At meeting of the City Council, held on last
Tuesday evening, q resolution, loaded with red
hot shot, was brought to bear on ". II. ". Cush-
man and contract existing between him and the
city in relation to the improvement Of the water
power. The resolution reiered to q commit
tee of four, to which number was added the
Mayor. The committee met on Wednesday, at the
Office of Mayor Jones for the purpose Of consider
ing the resolution, when "a second addition was
made by W. II. w. Cushman, and it would seem
from the report which the committee presented
to special meeting Of the Counci! on last Thurs
day evening, that il was dictated By the last ad.
dition to the committee. Evidently the report is
not based On ght and justice, bu. On involuntary
choice Of the Inittee made under the lash of
terrorism. 1t is truly notifying TO notice the
sacrifices OF honor aud p-luc'pe which the city
II and has been neceslt4ted h make 10 Mr.. Cush-
man in this water power business. First he
agrees to undertake the i'm provement if the city
will give him $4,000 or its equivalent IN bonds.
The people, IN their great anxiety to have the
improvement constructed, vote hia $4,000 in
bonds, equivalent to $4,000 or $1,000 more than
he asked. Next he insists that the contract be
drawn up agreeably to his wishes, and that the
$4,000 BONDS be placed III his hands FOR safe
kaeping. The city even in this respect comply
with his desires. All the circumstances trans
pirod previous 10 the 2l day OF August, 1868,
mediately commence work on the improvement,
but more than - months have passed since the
aboye date, and today the first tangible evidence
does not .xiSt That the work has been COM
meuced during the present season. The people
feel udign4nt, but Mr.. Cushman moves along
perfectly Indifferent 70 their feelings III the mat
ter Indeed, his silence under the circumst ances,
would indicate that the distressing emh.rrass.
meAt OF tue people WAS a source OF pleasure 10
his peculiar nature y short time beiJre the ..
of August, when the interest on the bonds be-
came due, the question frequently asked,
"Wlll Mr. Cu.hnan ,he having failed TO make
the improvement agreeably to the contract
demand the interest the bonds" The gen
eral answer to this interrogatory was, NO.
Mr.. Cu,hinan i nan Of honor and integrity,
and even II he vas the opposite he could not be
possessed of the etironterysand assurance neces-
sary to make such uni ast and unreasonable de-
| InaGd. Had Mr. Cushmau the power he would
not take from the people 100000 FOR which
he has rendered. them no equivateut' Later
developments however prove that he is possessor
OF assurance necessary for any emergency for he
has not only demanded the interest but threat.
ems not to go forward with the improvement I'M
less it is paid. Will the people as a necessity
yield 10 this unreasonable demsnd As the
council will probably take definite action Oh the
question Tuesday evening, the citizens
should hold iaeeting at the Court House on
Monday evening aud pass resolutions expressive
of the sentiments to be presented to the City
Council at their meeting on the following even.
Ing. y CITIZEN