St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-17
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
DIR. Mitchell's $3.50 Buggy--A Pur-
chasing Agent for the City.

SSOO k1NSgyssA Fufs
chasing Agent for the City.
The council committee on fire depart
ment transacted considerable business yes
terday. 1t first audited large number of
bills, and among the ones which were pre-
scented and which were not o. X. ID was a
bill of 1886 for new buggy for Dr.. w. III.
Mitchell. About three weeks ago the fire
department collided with the doctors car
riage on Hawthorne avenue. The street is
narrow and is incumbered by two street
railway tracks. and the gas was not burn
ing at the time of the accident. Chief
StetsOn explained that no one was blamable
for the occurrence. and that he had recon-
mended that the wrecked buggy be in
spected by a competent carriagemaker and
value set upon it. 1t had cost $3.50 and
was new. Stark & Darrow looked at it
and offered but S25 for what there was left
of it. The chief, however, thought it was
really worth much more. In his opinion,
$50 or $75 would repair it. Aid. Morse
suggested that the bill should be first pre-
scented to the council and then referred
back, and Aid. Cooley thought it wrong to
present bill for new buggy. He be-
lieved it should come up only as claim for
damages. Aid. Cooley furthermore thought
that perhaps the gas company was culpable
for falling to keep the street lamps lighted.
The bill will 60 before the council to-mor-
row evening.
Il notice that Aid. Lawrence alleged at
a meeting of the council the other night
that we had purchased new wagon for the
chief without authority" observed Aid.
Morse, who has been confined to his home
for several weeks by illness, but he made
blunder, perhaps inadvertently. We OBJ
tanned authority to purchase the buggy in
June"
A PURCHASING AGENT.
Aid. Clough brought up the matter of ap-
pointing purchasing agent for the city, as
contemplated in the resolution presented by
Aid. johnson few weeks ago. 1t shall
be the duty of such agent to purchase all
the supplies for the various departments OF
the city.
81 think T. F. Andrews of the Second
ward will accept the appointment" sug-
gested Aid. Clough. ''You know he is
good buyer, and will do as well for the city
as any man."
but cannot see what is to be gained
by it," interposed Chief Stetson. ''Fll
wager my salary that l have bought oats
for the fire department as low as any man
OOulu nave UOilC, anu hSlO ti1O WV
for the purchase of new hose. | know that
neither MI. Andrews nor any other man can
get lower figures"
''This system of advertising for proposals
seems rather awkward" proposed Aid.
Morse.
Eyes, indeed" remarked Aid. Barrows.
''The price of oats and hay varies so from
time to time that it will be impossible to
make satisfactory contracts
Il suggest explained Aid. Clough,
''that whenever the chief, for instance,
wants carload or two of oats, he adver
tise for proposals. Of course if we don't
get satisfactory prices we are not obliged
to accept the bids. know we can save
cent or two as rule on each bushel."
This proposition seemed to receive the
approval of the committee.
Chief StetSOn recommended that the fur
naces for heating purposes in the fire de-
partment houses be abandoned and that
steam heating apparatus be substituted. He
stated that it would save one-half the &C
and fuel and that it is healthier for the
men, furnishes more even distribution of
heat and affords better facilities for drying
out hose. He advised the low pressure
steam-heating system.
1t was agreed that the first cost would be
in excess Of the furnace, but that it would
be an appreciate economy in the end.