The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-26
MATTERS BY MAIL.
NEWS FROM our NEAR NEIGHBoRs,
Se{ious Accident at Blossom Prairie
The shOrteoming OF n Galveston
New Railroad Move.
ment at Ions view, r to-. Etc


which he recommended to that boiy the vi.
tai importance of some action being taken
for the deepening Of the water across the
bar to the entrance of the harbor. After
animsdverting pretty severely upon the pres
ent plan and its rate of progress, and the tax
commerce was subjected to in consequence of
the present inability ofvessels of large ton
mage to reach the wharves, he recommended
the appointment of committee of three
aldermen to confer with similar committee
to be u pointed by the cotton exchange,
wharf company, and the Gulf, Colorado Il
Santo Fe railroad company to take into con-
sideration the propriety Of engaging the SER
vices of man thoroughly competent to pre-
pare a statistical review of the volume of
trade of this city, the resources of the coun-
try that il now and will become tributary to
the city, provided deep water is obtained
across the outer bar, for presentation to our
members Of congress for their consideration
and guidance in askiRg for such appropra-
ton will give Galveston deep water at the
earliest possible moment, and thereby in
crease the rapid handling Of freight, and re-
lieving it of that onerous taxation to which
it it is now subjected. The communication
was read and received, and the proper COM
mittee was left to the mayor To appoint, with
instructions to report his action thereon for
the consideration of the council at the next
meeting The mayor made no appointments
and held the matter in allegiance for deliber-
alton thereon.--The report of the city au-
ditor threw bombshell into the council,
and placed rather prominent and proms-
ing young attorney of this city in quite =
questionable and reprehensible predicamsnt
Major FL. w. Jerdone, assistant city sttor-
ney, who has by resolution of the council
been made the collector of delinquent taxes,
was, according to the city auditors
communication to the council, de-
faulter TO the amount Of several hundred
dollars The facts as reported are these:
At the frs. meeting Of the city council, in
September, 1880, Major Jerdone reported a
collection OF $500 from Messrs. Ball,
Hutchins & Co., for delinquent taxes. The
taxes were disputed by the firm, but were
afterwards compromised according to o
resolution of the council. This sum, besides
$6S so collected by Major Jerdone, some
time previous, has not yet been paid into the
city treasury. Deductng the commission
allowed him, there is due the city, according
to his own reports, $738 80. The major has
also failed to furnish the city collector list
OF the taxes he has collected on hia r. lis.
This was a painful revelation, and it was
asked by an alderman if Major Jerdone had
been required to give "a bond. The mayor
stated in the negative One alderman moved
to refer the matter to the city attorney.
Others to this or that committee. Alderman
Mitchell believed in taking the bull squarely
by the horns, and moved that the whole mat
ter be referred to the chief Of police, for him
to work up, as he believed it was casa that
required bis attention. 1t was after some
little discussion referred to the finance com
mitteo and city attorney, the latter to act in
conjunction with the former, for investigs.
ton, and to report at the next meeting of the
council, the mayor remarking to the re-
porters that he hoped no note would be
made of Alderman Mitchell's remarks, as
they were calculated to cast stigma upon a
very excellent young man. This effort upon
the part of the mayor to shield Major
Jerdone from the public, l heard, after the
adjournment of the council, severely COM
mented upon. The shortage of Major
Jerdone called out resolution from Alder
man Mitchell that the receiving of
Hitchcock bayou and sidewalk bonds and
coupons in payment of assessment against
the same, and the compensation for the col
lection of said bonds AMI coupons by an at
torney, from which the city receives no bene.
fit, but the attorney cash compensation OF
5 cents, that he be instructed to receive only
legal currency OF the United States in ps, =
ment vi the assessments, and that all reSolu-
sd h.,p ,sy,y, hn
collector and attorney TO receive
sidewalk and Hitchcock bayou bonds and
coupons in payment Of assessments be and
the same is hereby repealed. This resolution
met with the approval of the mayor, but
with decided opposition from majority of
the board of aldermen, who stated that in the
present financial condition it would be impol-
itic upon the part of the city to adopt any
measure that had the shadow of reputation
about it, and if the resolution prevailed it
would have that appearance. For these res-
sons ssthe resolution did not pass. A
communication from Major Mans
field was read asking permits
sion from the city council to permit the
United States government to erect wharf
on q strip of shoal bordering on the north
side of the channel, of about 200 feet wide,
terminating on the lines of prolongation of
the axis of Fourteenth ana Twenty-tirst
streets, stating il is the intention to build
thereon suitable wharf 75Xl, 500 feet upon
which to deposit and manufacture material
for the prosecution of the harbor, and about
which their vessels conveying the material
can lie. After considerable discussion the
matter wa. referred to the committee on hsr-
Dor and wharves, with instructions to confer
with Major Mansfield report the matter
at the next meeting of the council. An APP
preparation was made to pay for the new
truck of the hook and ladder company. The
usual appropriations and othrr matters of
minor importance we're transacted, but 10
action was taken regarding the
bids for paving the strand
between Twenty.hrst and Twenty.second,
the matter not being brought up.
The county Judge has not signed the
$500 warrant yet, and it is thought he will
not unless compelled to do so by. a manda1
mus.-The British steamship Whitburn,
cleared Thu 'sday for Brennan with cargo
OF cotton.--The Emma Abbott opera troupe
lett for Houston yesterday. large
British steamship Marlborough, from New
port, Wales, with cargo Of railroad iron,
alter passage.of twenty-three days, droi ped
her anchors outside the bar Thursday even
ing.-On and after the 18th, quotations of
cotton in this market will be based on the
new type adopted by the board of directors,
and factors are requested to examine the new
standard.-W. N. Phillyir, who stole the
watch from Q. s. Newton, trim dispatcher
of the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe, mention
of which was made in my last, was brought
before the recorder on yesterday morning,