Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-07-04

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dant quantities, but he wanted the
privilege of supplying it as he and hls
partner might see fit, doing away
with the tower and the settling tanks Il
necessary. The meeting listened to his
proposition, and there was some discus
sion of it, but without determining any
thing it was agreed to call a meeting al
the court house the following afternoon
at 4 o'clock. 1t was evident, however.
from the very general expression Of
opinion, that the proposition made by
Messrs. Abendroth and Root would moi
be acceded to by the people.
At the second meeting the court
house was we'll filled with citizens.
Mr.. W. G. McCausland presided. MIR.
Root renewed his proposition, except
| that he did not this time ask to dis
pense with the settling reservoirs at the
river. He only requested to be per-
mitted to get along without the tower
for the present, supplying the pressure
from the pumps, and promising to
build a tower at some future time,
but not so high or SO large as the Ole
one.
The matter was very fully discussed,
| MIR. Richard Field offered a motion
that it be the sense of the meeting that
the council should not submit the prop
osition made by Messrs. Abendroth &
Root. Mr.. j. d. Shewalter offered al
amendment providing for a committee
to inquire into the justice of the demand
made by the gentlemen. Col. Jno'
Reid, Mr.. Chiles, Mr.. r. Taubman, Mr.
Jno. w. Waddell, Mr.. John Taubman.
Mr.. w. G. McCausland and Mr.. Robert
A. Hicklin spoke in support of Mr..
Fields motion. Mr. Shewalter spoke
to his motion, and Mr.. J. G. McGrew
asked for the gentlemen liberal treat
ment. After a pretty full interchange
| of views Mr.. Root stated, that as it was
evident the people were opposed to any
disturbance OF the original contract, he
and his partner would withdraw the
ordinance and proposition advanced by
them. The meeting then adjourned.
A meeting of the directory of the
water company was subsequently held
at which it was determined to go imme.
diately to work to erect a new water
tower, to build the settling reservoirs,
and to carry out literally the original
contract.
We suppose there is no right-minded
person IN the city who does not sympa.
thize with Messrs. Abendroth & Root
in their losses. Capitalists of New
York City, they began their connection
with the works by backing MI. j. A.
Jones with money and material. He
proved utterly incompetent, having NO
knowledge whatever as a hydraulic
engineer. and sunk fifteen or twenty
thousand dollars in a useless we'll on
the sand bar, and now, as Mr.. Root
expresses it, the tower which cost
something like fifteen thousand dollars,
s'has tumbled down."
There were two parties to the con-
tract-the city and the water company.
The city agreed to pay $4,000 annual
water rental, a very liberal price for
the contemplated service. The com.
pany agreed to build works of a certain
kind and dimension. The city has re-
Gently, by storms, suffered very great
damage. No doubt Messrs. Aben-
droth & Root regret this, but they cam
not be called on to make these losses
good. On the other hand the city can
not be called on to make good the
result of Mr.. Jones' stupidity. Messrs.
Abendroth s. Root have all along had
a controlling interest in the water
company, and they have up to this time
neglected to employ a competent engi-
neer to superintend their work. An
outlay of two, three, or ever five thous.
and dollars for this purpose at the be.
ginning would have been money in
their pockets. No doubt their neglect
to do so was largely due to their mis-.
placed confidence in Mr.. Jones. Mr..
Jones not only did not build intelligent.
ly, but he did everything in his power
TO make the company unpopular by re.
fusing to put our streets in the same
order in which he found them before
he put down bis mains, or even in
a passable condition.
Now that the principals have the
matter in charge we hope there will be
no more experimenting, but that the
works will be completed speedily and
effectively. The people want the
waterworks. They are ready to stand
by their part of the contract in good
faith. All they ask is, as they are
called upon to pay a first class price,
that they shall have first class water
works.
The friends Of the water works can
not but congratulate themselves that no
change has been made in the contract,
as one alteration would beget the de-
sire to make others. and there is no tell
ing where the precedent of change
might have led. We trust that affairs
will be so fairly and politely conducted
from now on, that the most amicable
relations may grow up between the
water company and the city.