The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-07-05
HOME MATTERS.
OUR CITY FATHERS,
Big Gas Bills-Gassy Talk--Ending in More
Gas.
insurance

Big Gas Bills-Gassy Talk Ending IN MOTE
Gas.
TUESDAY Evening, July LIST, 1873.
Council met. All present except Mayor Boyle
and Aid. Stout. Aid. Phelps called to the chair
Petition of citizens of sixth ward was presented
complaining of a nuisance on Phelps street. in
said ward, which the health officer persistently
refuses to abate. Referred to street and alley
committee with power to act
OPENING CHESTNUT STREET.
O. X. Hamburg ana e. l.. Thompson, who had
been appointed by the council to confer with
Hon. j. D. Cation with reference to obtaining
land of him to open street from the canal bridge
on Chestnut street due northward across the
railroad to the ridge, submitted q report, that
Judge Cation was willing to exchange a strip 80
feet wide, from the canal bridge to the railroad,
for an alley east Of said proposed street; ana
would sell the city 80 feet more at such price as
should be agreed upon by appraisers; also that
the railroad companies, in case such street was
opened, agreed to put in crossings. The commit
tee therefore recommended the opening and
grading of said street, and suggest whether it
had not better be 60 feet wide
Smith moved report be received and placed on
file
Stormont asked Thompson, (who was presently
what the railroad company meant by putting III
" crossings
Thompson understood it to mean filing up so
that teams could cross the railroad tracks.
stormont thought if railroad would do that it
could cost very little to open street 80 it wide,
ft11l
width.
Thompson thought Cation would do most oithe
grading, and that 80 #, was wide enough.
Smiths motion was put aud carried.
VACANCY IN BOARD OF EDUCATION.
\ communication from the clerk of the Board
of Education was read notifying council Of the
RESIGNATION of Director Maicrhofcr. II was voted
that an election to fiji vacancy be held in the
fifth ward on the first Tuesday in August, and W.
p. Hencry, II. Eichelberger and ID. Walker were
named as board to make the necessary registra-
ton and conduct said election.
sUNDRY ITEMS.
The finance committee reported the bill of Os-
man & iapeman for printing, stationery, &c,
correct, so fas as they knew, (some articles Of the
stationery having been got by the late clerk r,
n Watcrman) The bin was ordered paid
communication from surveyor Wilson was
read stating that, at the request of street and
alley committee, he had raised the sidewalk
grade in front Of lots Il, Is, IA and Is, block l6
Green's addition, Ton east Main street, one foot
above present grades. Also, that he had fixed a
new grade taking out the undulations) for side
I IL IL, 4
to feeder bridge.
On motion Of Smith, report received and grade
adopted.
CHESTNUT STREET AGAIN.
StormOnt-who sat uneasly chewing paper
wads during these proccedings-sa he was not
satisfied with the disposition made Of the bust
ness Of opening Chestnut street north Of the ca
nal and wanted to get back to that subject again.
something ought to be done about II. He moved
that the street and alley committee and city at
torncy negotiate with Judge Cation for the cX-
change Of the ground in question, have city sur
veyor fix a grade, and report at next meeting of
council If the railroads graded up to thcirtracks
the rest of the work could cost but little.
Smith thought Stormont was mistaken as to
what railroads would do. They would fX cross
ings In; do no grading.
But Stormonts motion was carried
ALL ABOUT Gas.
Hook, from gas committee, presented bin for
gas for last two months, as follows: Gas consum-
ed, 5000 #. at s. per 1000 ft.-sl7s,2O; and for
lampLighting, II nights at S12j per night, s. for
cleaning lamps and 40 cts for matches, in all
$?465; making total expense for gas S2O2.s5.
McGinnis said, while as member Of the gas
committee he had approved the present bill
knowing no escape from doing sO-hc thought
our expenses fer ggs were too high and ought to
be curtI.lcd. They were so much higher for the
last three months than formerly that hc thought
there ga- something wrong about the matter.
The days we're longer now and the nights short
and tn ere VAS no need for so much gaslight. He
moved that all the lights be pu: out except at
railroad dcpots and the bridges, and at such
points where the committee deemed them ncces-
sary.
Rcdmoud-Thc motion means exactly what the
committee are doing now
McGinuts-What ne meant was that the com
mittee should put out lights-curtaii expenses.
Hook opposed putting out any lights. 1t was
a false economy. The bills were large and there
was fault found But he did not think the gas
company presented fraudulent bills. The state
mcnt in a communication in the last FRI, Irdder
that six lamps were lighted east Of Fox River
was lie-there were but four. u was also false
that lights we're put out west OF side cut. There
were u lamps lighted now, as there had been for
year past. Fault had been found with moving
post in front Of residence Of Mr.. Formulas, but
he had had no hand in that
stormCnt said a good deal Of fault lad been
found with moving posts, and he thought there
had better be no more posts moved or new ones
put up.