The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-11-30
CITY COUNCILS coNuNDRUms.
Whns shall we do 10 he Saved
From Fire:
Shall we Get n Sfeamere Where are the Ten
thousand Dollars!

On Saturday evening last, IN pursuance of a
notice or e.ll signed by the Mayor, that was in
tended to bring out not only the council in full
force, but the great mass of the property hold
ers, bare quorum of the city magnates and 8
slim squad Of outsiders met at the City Hall.
The Mayor called the Council to order and stated
substantially that he had issued the call for
this sp-cia, meeting Of the council and citizens,
to take some action if possible, towards protect
ing our city from fire. We have seen cities all
around Us, and in instances nearly whole town,,
almost utterly destroyed by fire. Our condition
a. to safeguards aud appliances to contend
against large fire. once raging uuder favorable
circumstances, are simply worthless We
actually have no fire apparatus worth the M me,
1t Is even worse than none. We have two hand
engines and 1000 feet of hose, said to be in
working order. We remember that not Il great
while ago, after large sums had been expended
upon those engines for repairs, wEe1 a fire Games
for some reason other the engines did not
work. The truth is, hand engiens are behind
the age. Men will not work on them. We
must get steam power The people rest in
sort OF hope that the council will see that they
are properly protected against fire. and We must
meet this demDnd. While this cannot be done
without a large sum of money, our situation is
such, hopelessly st the mercy OF fires as We are
that We cannot afford to take the chances so
overwhelmingly against US. We had better bear
the blame OF Eult.inders for mourning the
necessary expense of getting an efficient fire de-
partment, with proper engine and equipments
for extinguishing fire, than the awful respon.
sbility that rests upon our negligence of duty
Another subject desire to call your attention
to the fact that we are now ready TO enforce tn.
completion Of certain sidewalks ordered to be
built BY the council, and that we should appoint
commissioners to attend to the subject. Also
there is Il question as to whether we should not
greatly modify the license on the Opera House
This building, an ornament to the city, was cree.
ted by the joint contributions of the people and
the Masonic fraternity. tor place of public
amusement; consequently it would seem that we
should not expect large revenue from it,,
especially rs by our license of IS per evening we
drive frst.cl"ss entertainments away entirely.
The fire question was debated at length BY
Alderman Miller, whose views were somewhat
varied, but generally sound, especially where he
said, "Gentlemen, if had to work fiye minutes
on hand inJen, wouldn't do it!'
Alderman Formulas asked the little conun.
drum about "where il that little ten thousand
dollars to come from? Our city i, now abou.
| e md tba
any faster than we pay it OUT aud we re
obliged to meet our 6urrert expenses We can.
no: issue bonds and sell them, and i. will never
do to flood the city with our city ORDERS worth
10 cents on Il dollar, as they would then be-" He
Was as much as apy one in favor Of a steam
engine, II we can get one. He would favor the
merchants protection plan; private enterprise
supported by subscriptions.
| Miller spoke: Il" lie thought the Mayor ought
to call public meeting at the Court House, 50
that this people all could come out and consult
together and do something by this things"
The Mayor " This is a public meeting, and
another would scarcely amount to more than
this. The council must act rs we deem best for
the interest Of the city"
Alderman Stont g We must NEE. this ques.
ton squarcly in the face. The people look to
us to do our duty. They do not come here to.
night, because they have other business to attend
to. They say. or think, that we have ample
power to do our duty, and We must do it. The
question as 10 our financial ability to do it need
not alarm as. We must do it, and we can. We
are, as city, able to do it now as we shall
probably be at any time for the next ten ears
They said we could not build an iron bridge
over Fox river. 'Where is your SIS, OOO?' was
the question. We haze not only built that, bu,
also another. Our earnest determination to dc
brought us tho means. Do you suppose that the
people of O.tawn will stand back "A moment
w.tn they comprehend our necessity | viii
take some OF tho bonds or city orders myself
aud advance a part OF the money towards get
ting this steam fire engine aud equipments, unt
I an sure others will come forward. At nj
events, let US appoint committee to zee wha
can be done. We will offer our hand engines TO
sale aud get II steamer soon rs possible
This embodied in "A previous motion, was car
reu, aud a committee was appointed TO opet
negotiations for tho purchase of on engine salt
committee to report at the next meeting.
The question of compelling sidewalk to
laid was settled by the appointment Of COMM.
sioneys to do the work, and the license COMM,
tee was instructed to prepare an ori,nanc
amending the present one, 40 as to give tn
, Opera House fair show for its life" and tn