The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-22
BUSY NIGHT IN COUNCIL
Restrictions on Cows Remain Intact in
Spite Of Efforts to Repeal Them.
The Ordinance the Old Street Car Company
Would Like to Have Passed-Franchise
Asked for BY the McNeal Syndicate.

The City Council WAS in session nearly FIVE
hours last night. and by hard work dispatched
. great deal OF business that had been accummu-
lating for weeks. The routine matters wore
taken up in the examination of the bids for pub
lie improvements. Councilman Darnell. chair
man Of the COMMITTEES on contracts, stated that
1t was difficult to please the contractors. and be
suegestsd that more care should be sxerted, in
order 70 prevent bids from slipping in after
other bids were opened and read. In order 20
prevent any suspicion Of unfsirness. the city
clerk was instructed TO stamp his
name on each bid submitted. Tbs
first business Of any interest was the opening Of
proposals for sprinklinR the streets. in accord
ace with the specifications the city engineer
prepared at the request Of the Council. Five
bids were submitted. The propositions startled
the councilmen. and some one moved that the
city be decided to one Of the men who proposed
to do the work. A German reporter gave il as
his opinion that the streets could be sprinkled
cheaper with beer. The first bid was submitted
by Clafey g. Sherine. 1t agreed to
sprinkle the entire city for sS7. 100.
The price by wards was as follows:
First Ward, $500; Second. IS, 900; Third, SO. 800:
Fourth. $500; Fifth, s. 1900; Sixth, So. 800;
Seventh, $1,000; Eighth. 50. 900; Ninth. $500;
Tenth. 81, 500; Eleventh, g, 300; Twelfth. 81. 500;
Thirtesnth. :, 1000; Fourteenth, 50, 200. Fiji
teenth. a. 800; Sixteenth, 50, 800; Seventeenth,
So 500; Eighteenth. s.. 400; Nineteenth. "a. 0C0;
Twentieth, 1000; Twenty-frst, $3, 500; Twenty
second. So, 400; Twenty. third, So. 600; Twenty
fourth, "a. 900; Twenty-ffth, "A. 900. The other
bids did not vary much from the fret one, indi-
eating that the bidders had put their
heads together in placing . price on their serv-
Ice. The total bid OF Perry Il FulminR was
sI3, 500; Of Roberts 81 Porter. SIC. 600. Henry
I. Noting did not propose to sprinkle the en-
tire city. but agreed to sprinkle the following
wards at the annexed prices: Sixth ward So. 208;
Second, 1889; Nineteenth, $4,368; Eighth,
s6.363. Conrad Rust bid on the Seventeenth
within it's limits for ss. 500. Without any DIS
cussion the bids were referred to the finance
committee, where they will probably remain I'M
called for.
The committee on arrangements for the OBJ
~servsnce OF Memorial day, appointed by the
Grand Army of the Republic, presented a COM
munication inviting the Council to attend the
services 10 be held at Crown HILL, Wednesday
Afternoon, May 30. The Mayor suggested that
the Council should attend ia a body, and
eighteen members signifed their willingness to
do so. A request that the FIRE department take
part in the procession on that day was referred
to the chief IRE engineer and the fire COM
mittee.
By permission the regular business was sus-
pended. and CouncilWan OBrien offered q reso-
luton extending the 1ympathy OF the Council
to Councilman Mcclellan, whose wife died dur
ing the last week, and Councilman Pearson,
whose only son was buried Sunday. The reso
luton vas unanimously adopted.
There seemed to be o general feeling among
the eounsilmen that the question OF allowing
the cows TO run at large should be disposed Of.
and on notion OF Councilman Trusler, the
champion Of the cow, the ordinance repeating
the present COW ordinance was taken up. Coun-
Gilman CUMMINGS said he thought there was
but one thing Council should do. and that was
to strike the ordinance from the files, aud he
moved that that he done. Councilman Trusler
made . long speech opposing such action. He said
that before he Was q candidate he favored keep
ing the COWS OF the streets, but after visiting all
the People Of his ward. he found that many Of
them were being wroneed by the ordinances. He
told q pitiful story about the widow Of an old
soldier living at No. go Coburn street. who had
been compelled to sell her COWS, the only sup
port she had for herself and children, and she is
now suffering for food and clothing. He would
rather sec the COWS grazing at the base Of the
soldiers monument than to know that a single
widow was In want When q candidate he
told his constituents IL he was elected he would
vote to repeal the ordinance, and he proposed to
do IL.
Councilman Swain did not think the argu-
ment Of Councilman Trusler was sufficient to
allow the cows to 60 at large. There was no
fcotOu v ouy Oioicf WluOW y DC IN Beco.
There we're women OF the Relief Corps who
would be glad to see after such families. He
felt sure Council would not disgrace the city by
repeating the ordinance The discussion would
have been continued. but, on motion of Council
man Thalman, the previous question was called.
The motion OF Councilman Cummings to strike
the repeating ordinance from the files was then
put. and passed BY . vote Of Ia to 8, a. follows:
~Yeas-Cummings. Darnell, Dunn. Elliott. Finch,
Casper, Hicklin, Johnston. Long. McClelland, Smith,
Stuckmeyer. Swain, Thalman. Nays--Burns, Davis,
Gaul, Markey, O'Connor, Parkinson, Trusler and
Wilson.
Several Of the councilmen explained their
votes.
The improvement of Garfield Park came no
for consideration again by the Mayor announe-
ing that the old ordinance providing for the i'm
provement Of the park contained so many de-
fects that 1t should not be passed. He recon-
files, and that q new ordinance be introduced.
Councilman Cummings then introduced a new
ordinance. creating q board of commissioners
for the park, to consist Of one member
OF the Council. one member OF the Board
Of Aldermen. and Eve citizens, not members OF
either body. It IL further provided that the
commissioner shall have supervision Of the ex-
penditurs of the $40, 900 appropriated for the
improvement OF the park. Councilman Cum
minRs stated there was some question about
the Council and board having the power TO
create such q commission, and upon his motion
the ordinance was referred to the city attorney
for Consideration.
When the roll was called for the introduction
OF miscellaneous business, Councilman Cum
minIs introduced an ordinance repeating the or
dinapce Of 1883 granting W. P. ljsms & Co. the
right TO lay underground wires in the city. He
said the company evidently never intended to
make any use of its franchise, and. by the rules
being suspended, the ordinance was unanimous
ly passed.
Councilman Darneli introduced the following:
Resolved. That the Mayor appoint q committee of
H. - ronfs Nth fho ITpson RafIroz nnnnronu fn
ascertain when they will build the viaduct across the
Union railway tracks, and report the same to the
Council at the next meeting.
He said. in Introducing the resolution. that
he had been reliably informed that Mr.. Malott
had said the Union Railway Company did not
intend to build the viaduct. ard he thought the
| truth should be ascertained a. soon AZ possible.
The resolution met with unanimous indorse-