The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-09

ness affairs of the city would be man.
aged carefully, judiciously, and econ
omically during your administration,
and now at its close l am able to say
that my prediction has been fully
verified. You have been very pune
tual in your attendance, both upon
the regular and special meetings Of
the Council, and have evinced an
unusual interest in the general pros.
perity of the city, as well as in the
discharge of the various duties assign.
ed you. You have done more work
with the same amount of money than
any preceding Council of this city.
This, perhaps, has not been SO much
due to your superior administrative
ability as to the fact of your having
better appliances to do the work with.
You have graded six miles and grav-
eled three and half miles of streets,
and a ride in almost any direction
through the city to-day is evidence
sufficient of the work having been
well done. You have put down one
hundred rods of sewer pipe, you have
dug two and a half miles of ditch,
some Of which was heavy digging.
You have constructed of solid mason.
ry eight stone culvers, one of which
is arched, and is a. #. in length, 7 #.
wide and 6 #. high. 1t was built
under considerable disadvantage ow-
ing to the extremely wet weather and
cost about $2Io. In order to add to
the efficiency of the fire department,
and the better to protect property
against the contingency of destruc-
tive fire, you have constructed four
substantial reservoirs of large capacity
at an average cost of $aoo each.
These will be ample for the protec-
ton of the area within their respec-
tive radii for years to come. AS the
city grows in any given direction
construct an additional reservoir for
the protection of that part, until such
time as the city is large enough and
financially able to own a complete
system of water works. In this con
nection l would recommend that you
carry out your projected plan of build
ing new engine house with its hose
tower, living rooms, stables, cells,
and Council Chamber. This is an
urgent need and should not be over
looked nor neglected. While speak
ing on this subject must not omit
to state that the city team, purchased
at an expense of $500, will greatly
add to the efficiency of the fire de-
partment.
During the year you have built one
and half miles of sidewalks and
crosswalks. You have been liberal
in your contributions towards public
improvements, aiding the new rail-
way to the amount of SI,45o, and
the County Agricultural Society to
the amount of $500, and in addition
to all this you have paid off an in
debtedness of the preceding Council
amounting to about S2,53o, and to-
night your Treasurer's report, if pre-.
sented, would show the financial
standing of the city to be on sound
basis. You have caused watchmen
to be placed at two important railway
crossing to warn citizens of the ap-
proach of incoming and outgoing
trains, and thus avoid destruction of
life and property. The long talked
of and projected T. & A. A. R. R.
has last become a substantial verify
and in consequence of its advent the
year 1883 will date as an important
epoch in the history and growth OF
Owosso. Gas works involving an ex-
penditure of about $4,000 in their
construction and management have
been arranged for, and many other
public improvements of minor i'm
portance are springing up here and
there through the city, which, to-
gether with our largely increased
population are evidence Of thrift and
prosperity exceeding even our most
sanguine expectations.
Altogether, our year has been a
prosperous and successful one--one
to which l can always look back with
a considerable degree of satisfaction,
both on account Of the success of
your administration and the pleasant
and amicable relations we have al
ways sustained toward each other in
our official capacity.
Council adjourned sine die.
JEROME E. TURNER,