Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-01-31
THE CITY WATER WORKS
The Ordinance Passed by the Council
Allowing the Construction Of
the Water Works.
The City Dads Called on 10 Explain 70 the
Taxpayers the Present Oou-
dition Of Affairs.
Fonr WORTH, Tx Jan, ~, 1885.

council OF fOft worm pthhed the ore
dlnanoe for the construction OF the
wat,T-works. A great many things
have been said and written about the
late purchase Of one-half interest IN
the wster-worSs, and the expediency
Of purchasing the remaining half
We desire 10 call attention TO part Of
this ordinance which seems to have
been overlooked, but hHa n strong
bearing on the question. IL II sub
stantlally M follows to.wit:
"Bec, 10. That there IL hereby given
and granted the Fort Worth Water.
works company the right and prlvl.
lege, from this date, for u period Of
twenty-five years, for supplying the
city Of Fort Worth and the citizens
thereof with water.
"5ec. " The city shall have the
right A. It's option 10 acquire, by pur-
chase, and become the sole owner OF
anid whter-wOrkH, including all
grounds, machinery, mains, pipes.
bulldogs aud franchises ana
property thereto gDpertslninF,
at the expiration OF Ave
years, or at any limo thereafter from
the date Of the acceptance OF the
water-wOrkB, upon giving one years
notice Of such lnten ion, upon paying
therefor 10 the owners thereof, the
value Of said property to DO ascertain.
ed as follows, viz: Tho city shall se-
lect one competent person aud the
owners Of the water.workB another,
and the two shall select n third, and
In the event Of failure to get such
third perBOn, the same shall be ap.
pointed by the district judge Of Tar
rant county, and the three
80 determined upon shall APP
prnise the value OF said property,
exclusive of franchise, NJ It's then cash
value, which appraBement shall be
binding upon the said Fort Worth
wRter-works company, as to tho value
thereof, but shall not DO binding upon
the city, unless said Rppraisement
shall be ratified by the city council,
and the city shall have the right 10
become the owner Of said works and
property at the Appraised value when
! such nppraisement shall have been
ratified by the city council. In case
the city shall not purchase and
become the owners OF the
works and property aforesaid
~
then all the rights, franchises and
! privileges In this contract shall be er
tended to said wRter-wurka COM
4 pany for a period of twenty five years
thereafter, subject TO the right u the
> said city TO purchase as aforesaid and
subject TO all duties and liabilities
upon the part Of said company, etc
Provided, however, that, II NJ tins
time the said wateT-works company
shall hold this property and fran
chiseH unincumbered by mortgage, o.
otherwise the city shall pay inoum
brances as a part Of the aforesaid valu
Z, thereof
IL is UNDER TODD and believed tina
the water-wOrks company have issue,
b. b2OO,OOO worth Of bOndR, and that the,
~ have been negotiated aud are now Ii
the hands Of purchasers for value; tina
the city council, la their late attempt
4 ed purchase OF One-half interest In sni
water-w0rka n m Drake 4 Co tram
lerred S32 600 worth OF the city bond
OF Fort Worth TO said Drake 4 q,
n, The Taxpayers Of this city request ia
II. city council To give some intormatlo
n upon this subject.
nm |. lfyou have made q contract wit
N. Messra Drake & Co, which Is lcpi
aud binding, have you not saddl.
upOn tho city "A debt OF 1892 900 SlOO
600 for water.woTka bOndB ana So, y,
for city bonde3 Aud will there u,
- have IN bo raised every year, by tax
tlon, S0iOO TO pay Interest alone on tn
amount, besides a pinking fund Ia di
charge the $4,000 debt? IN this
not correct, give us official figures.
= Was the entire cost OF q
whole wRter-workB, buildings, main
engines, etc, expended In cash by d
water,worhs company, exceeding SsC
OnOf Give ua an itemised statement
ita actual coat
II the wMer-works only cost Sgl
I'D 600 why did you give Messrs Oral
h Co Sl32 600 OF the peoples mon,
for what was only worth 100000
!. For what purpose did you bin
the water-worIs company 10 cell o.
% the city at the value OF the worl,
exclusive OF the franchise?
o, Why did YOU incur such llabi
~ wlthOutBubmltting the matter 10 Il
people who had IL 10 paw, aud especlf
, ~ those who have 10 pay without al
- benefit from the water.works2
Have you ever had the stock
ne Messrs. Drake & Co. transferred to u
city upon tho books Of tho wat,
WORKS company, aud do YOU CoutT
-, one half interest In said company,
y. IA IL not fact that tho said wat,
works company refuse 10 allow ma
stock to be so transferred, because Il
constitution forblds a city 20 own ato,
In an incorporated company, and Ia
not fact that said water-woIks col
"a, pany positively refuse to Rllo
you 20 have any Contg
whatever " said company or an
voice In tho business manageme
thereof Aud, further isnot tnis d
reason why you were 30 anxious
Gently to purchase the remaining hi
inteTest-i o 10 save what you h
already paid for aud could not gete
Did you not know when Y,
tIanaierr d the $50 600 worth OF bon
that you could not hold the stock n
der the constitutions IL 80, why q
you transfer them2
OLivRR 3 KENNEDY.
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