The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-07-15
City Council.
SPECIAL MEETING-THE HAMBLEToN CON
TRACT LAID ON THE TABLE.

At a special meeting Of Che City Council
held on Tuesday morning, the following mem
bers were present: Messrs. Bickle, Abby, Witt.
Evans, Hoge, Burke, Funkheuser, Grattan,
Kayser, German.
The meeting was called at the request of the
Special Water Committee, which, in compli
ance with the instructions of the Council, had
signed the contract for the construction Of the
water works at 100000 with Mr.. +. H. Ham
bleton, of Baltimore; had received the appro-
val Of the City Attorney and presented it for
the ratification of the Council. The contract
provides that the contractor shall complete the
water works of the city, put them in thorough
working order, and guarantee them for one
year, for the sum of $4,000, payable in per
cent. water bonds Of the city, i'll monthly esti-
mates, with reserve fund of 20 per cent, and
for the faithful performance of the contract
the contractor shall enter into bond in the
sum Of $4,000. in the ordinance submitted
by the committee the coupons provided for shall
be numbered from to $3.50 of $500 and 80 OF
$1,000, the interest to be paid semi-aEnually
and the coupons to be redeemable in 30 years:
The plan and specifications adopted by the
Council are that the reservoir shall be located
on Bells or Bickle's Hill, shall be of circular
form, 2l0 feet in diameter, IS feet deep with a
capacity of $4,000 gallons. The pump shall
be of Worthington's approved patent and the
mains to be foot in diameter in the clear, and
five-eighths of an inch in thickness. They
shall be made of the very best material and
vanished with pitch. This is The Hambleton
plan,
Messrs. Witt and Holt presented PROPOSE
ton offering to sell the lot and water power on
Main street to the city for $9,000-the actual
cost Of the property.
Mr.. Kayser said that the greatest opposition
had been manifested by the citizeEs to the last
action of the council, and offered resolution
laying the report of the committee on the ia
bic for the present, and referring the question
to the voters whether or not the water works
shall be built.
Mr.. Evaps-Mr. Kayser has been with lis
about two years now and this question OF the
water supply has been up before the Council
time and again and it does seem queer that
this is the first time he has opposed the move
ment.
| Mr.. Kayser-The people are as much inter
ested in this matter as we are, and am GER
tain that many who signed that paper (refer-
ring to a numerously signed petition presented
| by Col. Harman) did it BECAUSE they didn't
want the works at all.
| Mr.. Evans-Do you want to refer the whole
question Of the water works to the voters?
Mr.. .Grattan was in favor of laying the con-
tract on the table, but was opposed to post
poning action in the matter until the voice of
the voters could be heard. The resolution was
divided and the question Of submitting to the
people struck out.
Permissian being granted, Col. Hartman
arose and said that as one Of the committee APP
pointed to negotiate the bonds, he had made
diigent inquiry and from the Information
gained he was satisfied that the bonds could be
| disposed Of at 70 cents in Lynchburg. The
whole matter seemed to hinge on the negotia-
ton Of the bonds, as the City Engineers esti-
mate OF the work was $4,000. As to the par
| ties whose bids were below Mr.. Hambleton's.
not knowing anything about what they were to
Undertake, the thing was as plain as A B c.
They knew exactly what the engine, pipes and
| labor would cost, and the only thing would be
| the actual reservoir, and as to experience there
was Mai, Mcmahon who had been contractor
on WAGER works for thirty years, and certainly
knew as much about it as Mr.. Hambleton.
1t was a matter Of deep Importance to the
tax payers whether they shotld pay $50, 000
| for job that could be equally as well done for
| $4,000 or may he $50, 900, and he thought it
was Incumbent on the Council to advertise for
proposals. Mr., Kayser had been mistaken iE
saying that many of the signers to his petition
were opposed to the works altogether: they all
wanted them but they did not want to pay
| $15, 900 for a mans reputation. lie had found
but four or five men who refused to sign the
petition, and those who had refused favored
the movement, but declined to interfere with
any action of the Council
Mr.. Alby-As member Of the committee
and as a citizen, have epdeavored to exercise
ray best judgment, and have taken particular
pains to go around among the signers of that
petition and many Of them told me that thes
had only put their names to the paper to get
rid of COL IIarman. 1t is very natural that
they should sign paper when it was repre-
sented to them that the Council was just
throwing $4,000 away for nothing,
Col. Hartman replied that he would be glad
for Mr.. Abby to give him the names of the gen
tlemen who had signed to get rid of him and
he would 60 around to each one and give him
an opportunity of withdrawing his name il he
desired.
Mr.. Evans-Col Hartman seems to have
asceMained all at once that the city is to be
swindled out of 5000. He should have
thought of that when he put in his $50 ,00(
bid
Judge McCue then asked to make a state.
ment to the Council and his request being
granted, he said that as the representative O.
| the people, he wanted the contract awarded tt
home men. Every favor had been shown te
outside parties heretofore, AMI it was time tt
give our own people a chance. lie asked if al
the different plans OF gravitation had been in
CURED into, &C., and wound up with an appea
| for home W0rkmep.
| The contract was then laid on the table fo1
/ the present and the committee instructed t.
advertise for bids for the water works. A copy
| of the advertisement win be found in another
column.
| CAPT. HENRy KING COCHRAN.-A writer il