The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-02
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

mind from Chairman Miller 70 the last spocta-
tor on the back seat
! Flaherty. from the committee on paUpcrN,
reported bill of Manlcy 4 Smccton for a new
range in the culinary department Of the coun-
ty asylum. He explained that the subject was
brought up at former meeting Of the board,
but passed until last January, when a rcsolu.
ton was adopted, under which Manley x
Smeeton had done the job very satisfactorily
to the committee. BIZ $43j36. Bill ordered
paid.
! Flaherty also reported that the county could
get rid of pauper named Osmanson, in the
town of Sheridan, by appropriating $50, which
would buy him ticket for Norway, across the
ocean.
Adams, Of Mission, explained, satisfying the
board that the plan proposed was the thing to
do Osmanson had come to the town six
years ago sick, and was doomed to die soon
unless shipped; and he was ordered to 60
with his little ticket.
Bill of So. - for a blind person at Jackson
vile ordered paid.
! Note of $l02S5 given to La Sale Co. by /.
G. Council, due for boarding his mother at the
county asylum, on motion OF Flahcrty banded
County Agent Gibson for collection Fiaher-
ty discovering that this Womans son was both
able and responsible, came down upon the
party of the second part like thousand OF
brick, and got The above mote. Motion car
rici.
+ Stevenson, from the Committee on com.
plants and attachments, reported IN favor oil
reducing the assessment OF Mathlessen Il flege-
lcr's zinc works S4i010 On motion, Mr..
| lIegeler, who was present made an eXplGna-
ton which, owing to the noise upon the streets,
the acoustic defects of the court room and the
speakers loWnesS OF voice, we doubt II Mr.,
, IIegeler heard himself, We gathered from
word which now and then got AROUND Mcln-
tyres auricular appendices IN front of U.s. that
his firm was assessed much too high-higher
than any other zinc works III the country. |
! That to pay the taxes which such an assess |
ment would require would materially lessen
their ability to pay workmen's wages Much
of their products are of a perishaDle nature,
and some of their machinery is worn out or is |
not IN use having been superseded by newer
and better inventions. They had put up eabO- |
rate and expensive machinery for washing
ere bat now this IL done at the mines They
| formerly obtained all their ore from Gaena
and Wisconsin, but of late years find far bet
ter quality in Southeastern Missouri, and now
get their ore from that section. This leaves
idle their machines expressly made for the dis
carled Galena and Wisconsin ores Zinc
works are idle IN different parts of the country,
and business is depressed Works of neigh
boring zinc factory are new-owned by a.
wealthy Pittsburg gentleman. They are as
,sessed at 1000, while similar works Of his
firm are put eleven times higher
! In answer to the question by Barton, of
Merden he could give no definite answer as
| to the market value of their works They have
no market value.
The subject was postponed until to morrow.
Beach asked leave OF absence of two weeks
for Mrs. Arnold matron OF the county asylum,
to visit her daughter down east. Granted
Stevenson offered resolution that no other
business be transacted at tins session save
equalizing taxes. Tabled
Stevenson offered a resolution that the clerk
assess all unassessed lands and lots, or fractions
thereof, at the same rates as similar adjoining
property. Adopted.
Adjourned till \. NJ tomorrow morning
FRIDAY, Aug. |.
The board met pursuant TO adjournment
Roll called, minutes corrected.
I The report Of the committee in favor of re-
ducing the assessment of Matthiessen d Hege.
ler's zinc works $44, 900 came up.
Flaherfy moved to adopt
Stevenson explained it, being chairman of
said committee
Lewis wanted To know what evidence was
brought before the committee which had caus-
ed them to recommend the reduction ~
j Stevenson-"The evidence ofOur own senses |
Mr. Hegeler answered the committee as he |
did the board yesterday, that he could not give
the cash value of his property. They present
ed us schedule of their property as compared
with their neighbors"
O'Laughln moved that the committees re-
port be adopted, reducing the assessment $50,
600 instead of $4,000.
! Attorney O'ConnOr, on leave addressed the |
board: ITO assess the zinc works property at
the rates fixed by the assessor would be an out |
rage and an injury as well TO the people of La
Sale as to the county. A mistaken notion
generally prevails in the community as to the |
value of that property. Ii is a corporation,
not a firm and some of the shares are held by
other people than Matthessen & Hegeler.
They have not much money as corporation.
| If these men are rich they are so as individu-
ais not as firm. The only question is as to
the value OF certain described property, and
your committee have seen that il is far too
high. They have admitted that, though they
found it manliestly too high, they dared net
reduce it enough. Much of the property Is
cheap-the kilns, for instance, only small brick
affairs, which have to be replaced by new ones
every few years. Hegelerh has procured the as
sessments Of all the leading zinc works in the
country, and the highest except theirs is Mar
tindale's al S32 900, and that has been reduced.
An old ash pile near the mills, worthless tor
any use, is assessed at $1,000, A 4acre vacant
piece of land Is put at $1,000, when similar
land adjoining is valued at $40 per acre. The
Corliss steam engine, that people estimate to
have cost $4,000, cost shipped and put up
where it stands, exactly S7,700, and could be
replaced by one OF the same kind now for So /,
600. The six rollers in the rolling mills that
the public have figured 10 have cost 100000