The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-09


case in the balance OF the city:
Why wasn't the Second avenue work let by con-
tract 10 the lowest bidder! Or why, II the street
commissioner lie fit for his position, don't he attend
&c IL ana save the extra expense OF another EN-
ployey- Uni0R
1t is not likely thatl Mayor Butler will
take any notice of the above attack on him,
and therefore we will give it little airing.
l. The Union should study grammar
a little. Has the city council" is we'll
enough, but shave they city council is
horrid
2. The council has not, as the Union
asserts, left the grade open IN other parts
of the city for an annual resurvey."
3. There has been no pretense of bring
ing Second Avenue.t to proper grade, or
to the established grade. That would
cost more money than the city has to spare
at present. The object was to get passa-
BILE road through. A proper grade will
be reached, for Second Avenue aud Kim
ball street, when the city can afford the ex-
pendituIe The bridge near Augustana
college will have to be raised so that from
it to Robbins Avenue there will be an even
and gradual descent-and the Summit will
from the bridge, although sleeper, will
also be uniform and easy. On the west
side of Elm street there is a long, low
place, also to be filled by reducing the
Summit, so that on each side of the Sum
hit from the 4th ward school house and from
Robbins Avenue, the grade will be easy
and uniform to the Summit. 1t may be
several years before this is accomplished,
but that is the way it must be done, in the
end.
| 4. 1t was not let by contract because it
did not seem practicable, and because
nothing could be saved by it. The city could
not we'll expend beyond Sl,OOO-or much
beyond that sum- To ask men to bid how
much work they would do in that rough
place for $1,000 did not seem business.
like. Besides, Mayor Butler was Of
opinion that John Warner could ac-
complish more for the city by days work
than any contractor could do, as no con-
tractor would take such job, even if il
was practicable to let it, without gooC
margin of profit for himself All disin
, terested and intelligent men, who knew
the place before Mr.. Warner commenced
work, and who have examined it since
o completed, are surprised to see how mucl
has been done with the little money appro
priated. Those opposed to opening these
! streets have generally claimed that even {
passable road could not be made through
, them both for less than $4,000
: The city has saved about 1000 by the
course taken in opening these streets
o Messrs Harper & Robinson, II. P. Hull
2. L. Gable and Augustana College hav
4 given the right Of way for those street
adjoining their land, and Messrs. Harpe
& Robinson have paid out about 5000 i
cash for right of way. from land belongin
g to the college and to Hull. Mr. Hull ais
= paid something for right Of way, beside
: giving his land. The opening of thes
streets has been promised for some 6 or
: years past Had the council not accepte
i the offers in regard to right of way thi
year, the owners Of the land would hav
fenced it up and when the city wanted
Il the right of way would have to be pal
for. At the present value of the land
- would amount to about $1,000.
- We think the work done justifes til
. course taken by Mayor Butler, and that NJ
'0 Warner is fairly entitled to much cred
- for doing splendid job, considering tn
:, small amount of money at his disposal
- 5. The street commissioner was not o
= dered to do the work simply because /
:" could not be spared from other work
- he had been ordered to take charge of tt
Job the Adams street sewer would n
: have been put under repairs, and muC
= other pressing city work would have BET
~ neglected. 1t was not because Of a su
:" picion of iucapacity that the street cor
missioner was not ordered to do the wor
- for everybody who knows him and b
seen his work knows that he is very cap
BILE and very economical, and can do
~ much work for the money as anybody, al
~ do it as well. If he had been ordered
w do the work on Second Avenue and Xii
ball streets, another street commission
must have been appointed or pressing CT
work must have been left undor
p. Nothing could have been saved by t
he course the Union suggests.
re The best and most economical cour
res was taken by Mayor Butler, and the alta
ASS upon him by the Union will fall harmle
oh
of WATER FILTERs.-Parties that
!, troubled with impure water, can find,
49, using one of Don's Water Filters a
INT Coolers combined, will make it clear, /.
of cleanse it Of all impurities. Also just
q ceivod large lot of Refrigerators and
\ Boxes DAVID Don, IS West Ills. ST.
he uo,,,;o;co IN R,,ox co,,,+r
Us; From Mr. B. H. Kin ball, of this ci
700 who returned from knox county, vest
day, we learn that, on Saturday last,
at attempt was made to arrest n
ir' named Myers, who had been indie
10 for some offense and had absen
III himself for a time, and Il
uid returned. Myers had gone to a no,
re, where a friend named Peter johnson boa