Wichita eagle., 1888-05-30
A $50, 600 DAMAGE SUIT THREATENED.

AS Will be remem bered some months ago
it was stated that arrangements were being
made for the water company 10 furnish
college hill with water Concerning the
matter college hill gentleman yesterday
spoke as follows:
About year ago the people along east
Douglas avenue and on college hill entered
into contract with Wichita Water Com
pany for an extension of their mains at
Douglas avenue to top of college hill and
north to Second street. The company
claimed extension would cost $4,000 and
demanded guarantee of 10 per cent, ISL
0OO) yearly income for the first few years.
A subscription paper was started and the
amount quickly raised from the large num-
Der of our wealthy business men owning
property on the hill. The paper was pre-
sented to the company and they objected to
a subscription paper and demanded bond.
Bond drawn up and signed bv j. c. Ru
tan, A. A. Hyde and B. w. Aldrich given
company after approval by their president,
Mr.. Purdy. Part of bond reads as follows:
The condition of the obligation is such
that said party of the second part (the
Wichita Water company has agreed to
extend their water main on Douglas av-
enue in the city of Wichita, east to Mozer
avenue on the top of College Hill, and
thence north to the line of Second street,
by January l, 1885, and make taps and
furnish good water etc.
This was forwarded to the home COM
pany in Pittsburg by the local agent Of the
company here, Mr.. Hoffman, and so far as
heard from Were perfectly satisfactory to
all concerned. An order was made for the
pipe necessary for the extension. Pipe
was high and hard to get last year, and on
this account Mr.. Hoffman put off the Col
iege Hill folks he did the city council on
various extensions ordered by them. When
Mr.. Kuhn, president of the home company
in Pittsburg, was appealed to in Novem-
Der he tacitly acknowledged the contract,
but begged off on account of scarcity of
pipe and lateness of the season. When
spring came the superintendent coolly in
formed the people that the Pittsburg con-
pany had decided to make no more extern
sions in Wichita as some of their lines
We're not paying, but that there would be
a new superintendent in few days and
one of the officers would be out and that
they might appeal to him. Such men as
Aldrich, Hyde, Rutan, Pallett, Nieder-
lander, Hewitt, Biting, lines, Dodd,
Thomas. Solomon, Mitchell, Hutchings.
Jones, Tillinghast. Black, knight, Proud
foot, Lewis, Sites, and score or two
more of similar character and means who
have property on the proposed line feel
themselves greatly injured at this flat re-
fuSal to carry out a contract and threaten
suits for large damages and to compel the
to fulfill the agreement. Several
hsuSes costing from - 900 TO $4,000 each
have been erected with the distinct under
that city water was to be sup
piled. Many expensive building lots
have changed hands on the strength
of the contract with the water company
and now feel their reputation at stake If
the Wichita water company can thus re-
pudiate its contracts why cannot the city
as coolly refuse to pay its eXorhitant |
hydrant rentals on which the company de- |
ponds for its main source of revenue. We |
the contract with the water |
was finally closed with Mr.. |
Rtan, and as soon as he retuns from his !
eastern trip meeting of all those inter |
eSted will be called the matter laid before |
them Tor definite action. The College |
Hill men are justly indignant and say if |
suit is once commenced it will also cover |
some weak points in the original franchise /
to the water company which recent de /
cislonS of the supreme court have deyel- |
Oped. The local suit may thus help the /
city at large, and teach the Pittsburg |
managers that they have not quite so good |
4 franchise as they think for bleeding the |
,ity. 1t is a good thing for US in case of |
future trouble that the spirit OF repudia- /
hon of contracts is first shown by the |
water company, but it shows very bad /
Judgment on the part of the Pittsburg
,om pany TO thus antagonize large mum
Der of our best and wealthiest citizens
SEVENTEEN ANNIVERSARY OF MAR
RIAGE.
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Phillips, of Green
Sich, recently celebrated the SEVENTEEN
of their marriage. They have
lwelve children, ten boys and two girls. I
al living and all enjoyed the anniversary
Inner. Quite number of the neighbors 1
we're in attendance and the event was a |
most happy as we'll as remarkable one.
They have lived in Kansas for over twenty
'ears. coming here from Western Penn
'ylvanla- Nh. Phillips is ninety-eight
ears years old, and his wife one year
-ounger. They have always enjoyed re-
good health, and seem scarcely
over fifty years old