Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-08-07
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LIVELY ROW.
AN ALDERmAN ON MS EAR,.

| 6eQueDLly read Inc COURIER, nav,
known that some time ago the Cit,
Council agreed TO purchase of Mr.. j,
Chambers a lot on Market stree
99xl32 feet opposite Grimes Wagon
shop on which to erect city buildings
consisting Of engine house, city hal
and council chamber.
Their desire to purchase suitabl,
lot was manifested by public notice
through these columns Immediately
after the Ere destroyed our engine
house and council room, and In the
meantime numerous propositions were
made to sell property, and many lots
were examined as to eligibility, price
&c, before the proper committee con-
cluded to purchase the Chambers LOT
in city bonds, payable In three equal
payments of one thousand dollars
each, March LIST, 1874, rs and 76, with
ten per cent. interest.
AS soon as the required majority OF
the City Council agreed to take the
Chambers lot, the Mayor entered into
written agreement with Mr.. Cham.
bers to that effect, on which agree
ment he could have compelled the
Council to issue him bonds even II. /,
had subsequently to said contract hes
itated about passing an ordinance
covering the contract and providing
for issuing the bonds. !.
It seems that Messrs. Blake, Moore,
Pollard, Durfee, and Shelter favored
the Chambers lot all through its null
tifarious phAzes, up to the serio-comic
finality last night, while Messrs. Bal
lingall, Brady and Baker were violent
" opposed to It for reasons which
have appeared In print, and beer re-
peated In the City Council indefinitely,
but which are too long 10 be repeated
in any ordinary newspaper during dog
days.
The average Aldermanic mind has
been unusually perturbed over the
fact for several days that the final tus-
sci on this great question was to cul-
inmate last night. 1t was given out
In hurried whispers yesterday that the
ordinance to be presented last night
appropriating ten thousand dollars in
city bonds to pay for the Chambers lot,
and to provide for the suitable erec-
ton of buildings thereon, was 10 be
opposed by Ballingall, Brady and Ba-
ker with ell the arts Of parliamentary
diplomacy, while the well known fact
that Alderman Blake was to lead the
majority column, gave promise Of an
elegant shindy. In the meantime
Durfee was practicing on dumb bells,
Pat Brady fourishing his shillaleah
and George Shelter blowing his mns-
Gle up to enormous proportions pre-
paratory to the coming tug of war.
The expectation that something un.
usual was to occur, filed the Council
Chamber last night at an early hour
with an expectant throng, and those
who staid ont the menagerie until mid.
night,had their expectations fully graf
flied.
Directly after the preliminaries
transpired, the ordinance aforesaid was
introduced, whereupou Alderman
Baiiingaii snuauuccd that thu minority
proposed TO fllibuster the measure
through the night and If possible, de.
feat it by any means in their power.
From that time until midnight from
fifty to one hundred ballsts were taken
on dilatory motions, during which
time Aldermen Bsllingall, Blake, Bra.
dy, Durfee ct. al. made some two or
three hundred speeches, each to the
great edifcation of the spectators In
the pit. But an end must come to all
things, even to an Alderman's bassoon,
SO that at precisely high noon Of mid
night the minority, which had fought
worthy Of better cause, succumbed,
and the Mayor announced that the or
dinance, having received constitu-
tional majority, was the law of the
city. At this point Alderman Balm
gall seized the hated document, tore
1t to pieces and stalked out of the Coun-
Gil RoomsScourting arrest by his de-
FAINT language. The Mayor i,nme
diately ordered his arrest, whereupon
Marshall Gray pursued the irate AL
derman to the P. O. corner, where he
was arrested and brought back to bis
post of duty. During his absence the
Solicitor and City Clerk had picked up
the pieces of the ordinance prepare.
tory to FASTING them together in ship
shape, but Peter again got hold of it
and again tore IL to pieces. Finally
the Council formed hollow square
around the precious document to pro-
tect it from the hands Of the baffled
and infatuated Alderman, while Mar
shall Gray managed to keep him at bay
with his chilly" until 1t was again
pasted together and put beyond his
reach.
The Council then by vote Of i've
to three instructed Solicitor Ennis to
prepare articles Of impeachment
against Alderman Balliugall. after
which they adjourned and the crowd
dispersed, all agreeing that it was the
best entertainment the city has had
since the visit Of Barnums Menagerie.
We don't propose to enter into the
question of the propriety Of buying
the lot pro or con, bat 1t does seem to
us that after decided majority of the
City Council had determined to pur-
chase 1t, that Mr.. Ballingall should
have yielded . decent and respectful
acquiescenco. This paper has times
without number commended him for