The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-03-09
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.

COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
! COUNCIL CHAMBERS, March :, 1882.
Regular meeting of the city council.
Present, Mayor Eastman. and AIessrs.
Fox, Bay, Lewis, Whittlesey, Watson
and Thies.
On motion the reading of minutes of
February 21st and 2Sth were dispensed
| with
Report OF police judge for February
was referred to committee on CLAIMS.
Marshal's Jail report for February was
referred TO committee on CLAIMS.
Petition of citizens 10 have fire limits
extended so as to be bounded as follows:
On the east by Mechanics street; on
the west by the alley between Merchants
street and Constitution street; on the
north by Seventh avenue; on the south
by Third avenue, was read and referred
to committee on ordinances with in
structions to bring in an ordinance in
conformity to the prayer of the petition.
Petition of 7. J. Barton, offering to
pay 800 per year for the exclusive
privilege of running street sprinkler an
Commercial street between Third and
Seventh avenue for five years was re-
ferred TO committee on water works
with instructions to report at next meet
| ing, and the clerk was directed to issue
no permits for street sprinklIng until
action was taken upon the report of the
committee.
The committee on water works made
the following report:
To tie Honorable Mayor and CITY C0un-
cal:
Your committee on water works to
| whom was referred the matter of seeing
Mr.. w. T. Soden in regard to letting
the water works engine and pumps re-
main in their present location, would
beg leave TO report as follows: That they
saw Mr.. Soden and after an extended
conversation with him about the matter,
he submitted three propositions in writ
ing, which are hereto attached and made
part of our report, and We would rec
ommend that the council accept the first
proposition, namely: To lay 4.inch
pipe to his mill for the following
reasons:
LIST. Because, as a matter of fact, south
Commercial street is entitled TO more
fire protection.
I'd. The actual cost to the city for put.
ting the pipe down from the south side
of the city to Mr.. Soden's mill will be
by far the cheapest proposition to the
city.
From actual figures offered we find
the cost of putting down the pipe from
the south side of the city to the mill will
not exceed fifteen hundred dollars, and
the total cost for laying the pipe from
South avenue to the mill, including all
necessary fire hydrants, will not exceed
two thousand five hundred dollars. This,
if the calculation is made from South
avenue, would only be five hundred dol
lars per year for the five years, and if
the calculation is made from the south
side of the city it would only be three
hundred dollars per year, to say nothing
about the additional fire protection that
is given that part of the city and the
amount the city would receive fol. water
rents along said pipe, and the advantage
said pipe would be to the city TO supply
water through when the works were be-
ing removed. Respectfully submitted,
J. S. WATSON,
1. d. Fox,
Committee On water works.
The following are the propositions
made by Mr.. Soden to the committee:
To tie Committee on WdterloOrks:
Gentlemen: l will make you the
following offers, either offer, if accepted,
for the term of five years.
LIST. The city to run four inch pipe
on Commercial street to my mill, to be
used for fire purposes, and in case of fire
to have the usual fire pressure usually
used in the city for fire purposes, l to
pay for all other water taken in house
or garden.
End. 5000 per year.
Sd. No charge for water when plen.
ty, but when scarce or low pay actual
loss or damage as may be determined,
water considered low when not enough
to run machinery all full.
In either offer city to have the privilege
to use what water she may need for all
purposes so far as l am concerned. This
offer open for ten days.
Yours very respectfully,
w. T. SoDEN.
Mr.. Bay moved to adopt the recon-
mendation of the committee.
Mr.. Whittlesey moved to amend by
laying the report on the table until the
next meeting of the council, and the
clerk be instructed TO publish the report
in full in the proceedings. Motion sec
onded by Mr. Lewis.
The amendment was lost by the fol
lowing vote:
Ayes, Lewis, Whittlesey and Theis.
Nays, Bay, Fox and Watson.
Mr. Bays motion was then adopted
by the following vote;
Ayes, Fox, Bay, Lewis, Watson.
Nays, Whittlesey, Theis.
The following communication was
submitted by the mayor:
To the Hon. City Council:
GENTLEMEN 81 hand you herewith
the bond of G. V. EskrIdge in the sum
of $1,000 with II. g. Whitley as surety,
conditioned on his building on the en-
tire frontage of "a feet on Sixth avenue
recently purchased Of the city, brick or
stone buildings within year from date
of purchase.
In this connection l woIld also state
that was offered by a reliable gentle
man, after the purchase by Mr.. Esk-
ridge, twenty-five hundred dollars
($2, 500 for the same 81 feet of ground.
He, however, stated that he was not
making the offer for himself, but for an
other party, and could give no guaranty
that the ground would be built upon
anv time in the near future.
Believing that $4,000 in cash
and improvements which would add
to the taxable valuation of the city any
where from three thousand to five thous-
and dollars, was better for the city than
81, 500 or even $1,000 with no improve
ments ON the property. also believing
that Mr. Eskridge had made a fair and
open proposition which the council had
accepted by the very decisive vote of
| seven TO one, and believing that the
price paid was fair one, as / had
never heard of more than $500 being
offered for the whole 100x104 feet before,
and believing there was no faint of
| iobbery or fraud in the transaction
from beginning to end, 1 did not feel at
| liberty to cancel the action of the coun-
ell and have therefore, with the clerk,
signed the deed and delivered the same
/ to Mr.. Eskridge.
| / also hand the council with this
proposition from Messrs.
Holmes s. Holden to sell to the
city, lots Nos. 20 and 81
| on Merchants street for the remaining
so feet owned by the city on Sixth ave
nue. and fifteenihundred dollars ($1 500.
| I am not prepared to say that this is the
best that can be done for the city. yet it
| will be readily seen that the city has
the opportunity of acquiring 26x100
feet more ground equally well located