The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-17
THE WATER WORKS AND GAS FIT
TIM; SJVl INDIES.

would complain. bul We AaNo nut AhO
works are a fraud-but the m ney is
gone and the amount remains, as huge
debt upon our city. The honest taxpay-
err feel this burden-surely the respon-
sibility rests somewhere! We speak this
more in sorrow than in anger, for it is
serious matter to our people. Especially
is it serious when our City Council are
abou' t. issue bonds on which to borrow
THIRTY-FIvE THOUSAND DOLLARS more to
lay iron pipe to the lake.
1t is the opinion Of all honest and com
petent judges that the original expendil-
ure was ample and more than enough, to
have given Canton all iron pipe, from
the lake to town, and throughout the
city; we speak this adyisedly, for it is
mere mater of arithmetical calculation.
Now, if these statements are correct, 1t
follows that, in the construction OF our
water works was an amount of swindling
worthy of Boss" Tweed or Boss Shep-
herd, or else degree of carelessness
which is wholly incompatible with the
'Boss" in our case. No one supposes
there was more than one "scoundrel" or
one "lhief' in the business.
Youngstown built her water works in
1870 and when iron was $57 ton, her
fifteen miles of good iron pipe cost, in all,
ninety thousand dollars, being $72 per ton
laid Digging too was 80 difficult in the
streets of Youngstown that blasting
had to be resorted to. But Youngs-
town has solid iron pipe, no cement fraud
that cost about as much The hydrants
and water gates in Youngstown cost less
than half as much as ours in Canton In
fact, within the last three years in our
city, two miles of iron pipe have been
laid at much less cost, than was the
cement fraud. Our cement pipes are
bursting every now and then, will stand
little pressure, in fact, in case of a large
lire, requiring a great pressure, the pipes
wonld not stand and we would be at the
mercy of the devouring element. This,
with all our vast expenditure
More than this: 1t was only for short
time that our city was supplied with wa
ter from the lake, and for years, our only
source of supply has been the west creek
Sprankle's dam is the reservoir, and is
liable to a break that would depriyeus of
water entirely. Hence the necessity of a
lake connection.
We thus show the miserable manage
ment in building our water works. We
say "let facts be submitted to candid
people," What can we reason but from
what we know.
But who was the "Boss" in all this bu-
siness? Who negotiated the bonds, go
ing east repeatedly for that purpose =?
Who held the purse and held the power
refusing to place the money tn the city
Treasury where the law requireditshould
be?
Who, we say, was this redoubtable in
dividual? None other than LOUIS
SCHAEFER, ESQR. He, then, justly
stands charged with these bonds. Let
him make detailed statement and clear
up his record. Why has it been so diff
cult to smoke him out Some twoyears
ago, a competent committee appointed by
the City Council examined his books and
vouchers and found some EIGHTEEN THOU
SAND DOLLARS UNACCoUETED for Hepaid
no attention TO them and their report,
and our City Conncil have been aston
ishingly quiescent. TWAS not till of late,
that We felt called upon to refer to the
matter in a proper and fair manner. Mr..
Schaefer las finally cOndescended to no
tice the matter. He need not get savage
and furious about it. 1t is mere bust
ness matter that every citizen has right
to enquire into, and demand action of the
City Council. Calling bad names or
claiming his Opera House is a moral in
stitution with him in it, and far ahead Of
churches, will not avail. He need not
think he is dealing with little school
boys, and he cannot escape up the alley
this time. So, go slow, and keep cool
brother Schaefer.
Seeing he has broken silence. we trust
he will continue, and explain. For in
stance in his book are such entries as
1869, Dec. &, w. W. Comfy check tc
diggers S662.3O-Dcc. 20, diggers-to cash
Sl4OO. Please rise and explain, and
account for these entries. ''Diggers p
Who were they? What did they do
Where dig? A great way to keep a re-
cord, truly Talk about scoundrels and
thieves
At last he says he is willing to go be.
fore committee p "Barkis is willin"-
at last, The Stark County DEMOCRAT de.
serves some credit in bringing this Re
pository hummer thus far. 1t was like
pulling teeth, however.
But, those gas fittings for the Cour
House That there was "swag" some
where is well known to every business
man acquainted with that line of trade
This margin" Stark county paid for.
Mr.. Schaefer says: "a few of the whar
rats of Canton who expected to get the
job of purchasing, raised the cry that We
paid too high price for them (abOut Sl2,
OOOy. or made speck in the purchase"
Now, who, this ex- County Commission
er and ex-water works builder, means by
"yharf rats" we know not, but thattherC