Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-07-16
COLD WATER.

WATER-WORKS FOR FIFTEEN DAYS
PULLING BIDS AND BIDDERS TO PIECES
&C., &C., &c.
A rather sudden meeting of the City
Council was held on Tuesday morning. al
the early hour of 8 O'Clock, to pass upon
the ratification of the contract of the
Messrs. Hambleton, of Baltimore, to buid
the water-works for $4,000 in city pei
cent. bonds. The sudden call was explain
ed by Mr.. Abby, of the special water com
mittee, who stated that the contract being
prepared and ready, and Gen. Echols being
about to leave the city, the meeting was
called in order to secure his attendance
at it's ratification or rejection. All the
members of the Council were present, ex-
cept Maj Bagby, who was out of the city,
and Gen. Echols, who did not attend.
There were present also a goodly number
of the sovereigns, Col. NJ. q. Hartman, and
Judge J. H. McCue, his counsel. The
Colonel did not come in on time, but when
he did come there was a vigorous dis
patching of messages to various points,
which gave assurance that there was to be
vigorous fight.
THE CONTRACT.
Mr. Evans, of the special water COM
mittee, produced the contract of Messrs.
Hambleton, which was to build the water
works for 500, 900 in bonds; also the opinion
of City Attorney Elder, that the contract
was quite sufficient to insure the constrnc-
ton of the works for the price, and in ac-
cordance with the plans. The sum Of $50
600 security, to be given by the builders,
is named in the contract, and it is also pro-
yided that the work should be superintend-
ed and approved by an engineer appointed
by the city. Accompanying this report is
the price, $4,000, which Messrs. Witt q
Holt have agreed to sell their water right
for. The location Of the works is not
fixed, being left to be fixed hereafter, on
either Mr.. R. G. Bickle's hill or Maj. II.
M. Bells hill.
OPPOSITION TO RATIFICATION.
Mr.. VIM Kayser said he understood
that there was very decided opposition
among the people to the Council ratifying
this contract, and he asked that Col. M. G.
Hartman be heard on the subject. He Of
fered resolution providing, LIST, that the
contract be laid on the table; and I'd, that
the question of erecting the works be sub
mitted to the taxpayers to be voted on.
MI. Bickle-It only effects those who
use the water.
NEW FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE
Mr.. Evans said the motion was a sur
M h06 ,pr ot
the Council for nearly ten years, and had
voted for an appropriation Of $4,000 to
build the works without any reference to
popular vote, and had SO voted more than
once.
MIR. Kayser said it was because the peo-
pie had never before expressed an opinion,
as they had now by petition, in opposition
to our action, and he now proposed simply
to give them an opportunity to vote on the
matter.
The petition, signed numerously, which
had been gotten up by Col. Hartman, was
read, and showed that the petition asked
the Council to let the work TO the lowest
bidder, the work to be executed under
bond and subject SO the approval OF an eX-
perienced hydraulic engineer, to be ap-
pointed by the Council.
NO SUBMISSION TO A POPULAR VOTE.
Mr.. Grattan said he would vote for the
first clause of the resolution, but not for
the second, the second being the submit
ting it to the popular vote. He should
vote for the first, because he believed $780,,
900 was too high price to pay for the
work.
The resolution was divided and the sec
ond clause voted on, first being defeated
by the following vote:
Ayes-Mr. Kayser.
Noes-Messrs. Abby, Bickle, Burke,
Evans, Fnnkhouser, Grattan, Hoge and
WITT
THE TUG OF WAR.
The question then came up on the first
clause, laying the contract on the table,
and Mr.. Kayser urged its adoption, saying
that he WAS authorized to say that there
would be another bid by gentleman who
had not had sufficient notice of this meet
ing.
Mr.. Alley-Hadn't he had chance be-
fore to bid?
Mr.. Grattan-Very likely he has, and
now comes in after all the rest with still
lower bid, which is all the better for us.
COL. HARTMAN IN THE FIELD.
Col. Hartman having permission to ad-
dress the Council, said he had the opportu-
nlty to know that the city bonds could be
negotiated monthly in Lynchburg, which
was sufficiently rapid for the prosecution
of the work, at soc. in the dollar, and he
had uapers in his possession to show the
fact. The Lids which had been put i'll were,
it was true, widely differing i'll amount,
but none of them differed from the City
Engineers estimate. which was 1000,
as much as the $4,000 bid of the
Messrs. Hambleton. In carrying around
the petitions which were now on the Coun-
Gil table, he had only met five OF six men
who had declined to sign them. He did not
now propose to bid on the work himself
at all, though when his brother, Col. A.
w. Halnlan, had mentioned to him that
he would bid he had joined him; but he
could well see how any man would feel it
duty to put in bid when such mon
strons price as 600 was proposed to be
paid. The special committee had made a
point Of the experience necessary to build
water works, buJ he was sure that Maj.
Mcmahon, one Of the bidders, had more
experience in works for carrying water
than ever the Messrs. Hambleton had.
Mr. Burke-Weren't you one of a COM
mittee once to negotiate these water
bonds?
Mr.. Harman-It is true, but never had
authority to sell the bonds. IF I had had :,