The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-08
City Council

| On Tuesday evening last the regular
monthly meeting of the city council was
held, full board being in attendance.
After dIsposng of the minutes of the last
meeting, the mayor introduced to the city
council Mr.. Fox, II representative Of the
vandcrpoel Electric Light Company, who
briefly addressed the council upon the sub
! jcct of electric lighting, and ended by invit.
| ing the council to visit Elgiu in body at
the company's expense and see 1.-THE best
| lighted city on the American continent"
| He stated that Elgin uses 20 lights, erected
upon towers hundred or hundred and
twenty-five feet high, the aggregate cost per
year being So, 500. In answer to a question
| by Mr.. lIoban, Mr.. Fox stated he thought i,
equally satisfactory and at much less cx.
penso at the outset II the lamps were sus.
pended between poles at the intersection oil
streets. One lamp would light each way for
distance of two and half to three blocks
or, place the lights five or six blocks apar,
throughout the city. The council voted to
accept the invitation and agreed to notify
Mr.. Fox when they were ready to 90.
A petition by Nessrs. John Manley and ID.
Is. Snow, of the east side, asking privilege
| to sink an artesian well at II designated place
near their premises, was granted, no delay
or hesitancy being absorbed, especially after
| It was whispered that the well had already
been dug.
The street and alley committee were au
thorized to purchase of f.. Y. Griggs the
gravel from an acre OF ground at the price OF
$50; the gravel bed, it Is claimed, being
from s to 10 feet deep.
An ordinance adopting the Book OF Ordi.
nances," the revision just completed was
adopted by vote of S to 2-the negatives
being McDoagall and Hull.
Alderman McKinlay, chairman OF the IRE
committee. reported the work recently or
dcred in his department-thc. fire plug on
Union street-nearly completed; that the
new hose had been paid for, &c.
| City Attorney Boyle presented an opinion
| in reference to the claims of V. b. Weeks
and Thos. Larkin against the city, for costs
in police cases, where tine. had been entered
against accused persons in the police courts
and subsequently RENTED by order Of the
council. The city attorney held these claims
should be collected, the amount of them be
ing In the neighborhood Of $50.
The mayor read communication on The
Sidewalk question" urging that better
walks be built and recommendingsan imme
date pI osecution of all parties VINO had no
vet complied with the orders TO repair OF
build The cows were also declared nuts
ancc by the communication, and his hono
wanted them and all other animals KEEP
from running at large. He also recommend
ed new standing committee, to be kuowr
, as the building committee, who shall have
the supervision of all building matters. Tit
letter also referred to the bulletin boart
business, recommending that a few boards
be erected for the use OF the publics Tit
communication was referred to specia
committee consisting OF Messrs. McDougall
Hull and Hobsn.
1t coming to the notice OF the council thai
a probable claim against the city would bt
presented by Mrs. Redmond for damages re-
ce,yed from broken sidewalk, on motion
the matter was referred TO a committee o
three to investigate and report at the next
meeting.
Alderman McDougall, from the finance