The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-08-08

I'LL y L = L. = NAL W GtAs 10
" Oct. Prud'hOmme, work on street Sc 90
" Lewis Hayes, Jail fees....-..-... l 90
Everybody can examine this list for himself
and see for what purpose the $3.50 Sc eX-
pended by the town council for the two years
ending in April, 1878, was used,' except for that
part of the year 1871, when no warrants were
registered; and see "whO got it, and what was
done with it,"
But, on adding the figures up, it appears that
the expenditures from November 9Th, 1871, to
July 8th, 1873, a period Of just one year and
eight months, were $8,5O1 81, instead of S5,45O So.
The warrants actually issued show the expendI-
lures, as payments are made iu warrants; and
the warrants cashed by the treasurer, taken
from the whole number issued, will show the
amount Of outstanding warrants.
DEBT OF THE TOWN.
From q statement we found in the warrant
book, it would appear that the debt of the town,
on the first day of June, 1873, was S2o36 81.
COST OF wORKIN THE STREETS.
During these eigteen months working tho
streets cost the snug little sum of about $l757,3O;
and $939,95 of that sum was expended from jan
uary 18th, 1873, to April 14th, 1873, a period of
three mouths and one week. Now it was about
this latter date that the streets, just after all this
work and money had been spent on them, were
turned on ct 10 Ilc NEW budLuy Win III hoA
money to continue the good work, and yet
Taxpayer is not happy; and some are I'M
charitable enough to damn the new Board be-
cause the streets are in a bad condition and call
the members thereof a band of thieves. 1t does
seem that $685. from January to April, should
have put the streets in better condition but
then it didn't, and facts are facts, and the new
Board got in just in time to get the Odium.
Y .:- IVY -r,, - crOOI Gi1r lint hiS hnQ6 UNA
chopped off for what his predecessors had done
or failed to do.
LUMBER M CARPENTERS BILL, &c.
During these eighteen months the expendi-
lures for lumber, carpenters work on market
house, hauling lumber, five blocks for market
house, building bridges, spades, shOvels, spikes,
, nails, etc, amount to S1O51 90; and yet "Taxpay-
err ct ais. are not happy because no work IS done
on the streets.
DITCHING AED HAULING DIRT.
During these eighteen months $138,55 was
paid for hauling dirt on the streets, and 500
500 to one party and $50 to anOther-was paid
to individuals for digging bitches; and still
Taxpayer" ct ais. are not happy because the
streets and bitches are not in alOvely condition
, and because the present Board will not follow
suit.
! SUEDRY EXPENDITURES.
, We have gone somewhat into details, in re-
D gard to those items which pertain to the streets,
0 bridges and bitches or cutters, because these
. have been recently a source of much complaint.
But we will add that that little matter of st.
0 Joseph cost the town, for printing protest, $12;
y for obtaining signatures to protest, 81 50; for
travelling expenses, 800; for attorneys SER
0 vices, $50; making the sum of $169 5O-that's
what the would be parish Of st. Joseph cost
0 OpelOusas.
OPENING MAIN STREET.
. 1t has been nearly fourteen years since we
first came to reside in OpelOusas; and during
all that time, two or three blocks of the north
2 end of Main street have been closed up, and had
been probably ever since the north addition to
the town was made-hOw long ago that was,
we do not know,
Opelousas is an old town, andthe parish seat
of the most populOus parish in the State, ex,
cept one; and it is a shame that its main street
should forever remain clOsed-that it has re-
manned closed so long. Business on the closed
end of that street has always suffered from that
70 cause and as the residents there pay taxes fOl
the benefit of the town at large, the town should
have given them an open street asst has giveT
DO everybody else. We are informed that about
the beginning or the war, an opening cOuId
20 ~ have been bought for between fifteen hundred
90 and two thousand dollars but the council die
not see proper to do it. Recently property "
ing on and across the course of this street ha5
changed prOprietOrs, and following the change
new and permanent buildings and improve
:, ments would be erected on or about where tn
so street would run, if opened, and which would
so if erected, render it impossible for the tOwl
* hereafter to open 1t. 1t was necessary, there
fore, that it should be opened, If it was ever t.
90 be done, before these buildings were built; ant
movements were made about six weeks ago t
90 accomplish it. A petition was presented to tn
town Council to have it opened, signed by tn
so AoLO"AnS PolsohS, "nu IL Mo"i" H"'0 . t"i
90 numerously signed if it had been considered ne