The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-05
OF Iii COUNCILMEN
A Little of Various Matters Considered
Without Any Important Action.
Report Of the Retiring City Engineer on I'm
prOvements that Could Be Accomplished
Finance Committee Finds Funds Safe.

hoiuCo HGNO pkOfCo oiAAAS
He said they have proved only stopping
places for boy tramps, and thought that
night-schools which would educate them in
the common English branches and in hand
icraft would be found a blessing in Indian
apolis. He advised the Council to prohibit
the backing of boots upon the streets, out
side of houses. He believed it would be
well if cities could take hold of such boys
and lndenture them. He thought that
Michigan had such a law. Colonel Hoge-
lands paper was referred to committee on
ordinance with instructions to prepare an
ordinance prohibiting street backing. A
joint convention of the Board of Aldermen
and City Council was then held to choose
a successor to City Civil Engineer Shearer,
resigned, for the unexpired term. A. p.
Shawver was elected, receiving eighteen
votes. w. c. Smith, the Democratic can
didate, received nine votes.
The Common Council was then called to
order. Mr.. Shawver's appointments of w.
c. Phipps, Thomas Tallentire and VIM.
Petty to positions in his department. were
approved. The city clerk reported orders
drawn on the city treasury for the month
of January amounting to S21S,5S5.6O. A
precept for S35 was ordered to be issued
against Dion Boncicault, the dramatist, for
non-payment of street improvements. TIL
special committee, to whom was referred
ex-City Civil Engineer Shearer's paper, re-
ported q memorial regrettlng his .reslgna.
ton from the position he had SO ably and
honestly filled for the past eight years.
The report was unanimously adopted. The
report Of committee to make o contract
with the VapOr-light Company to furnish
500 hghts, at 81 for each light per year, was
Company served notice that they would
hold the city responsible for any damage
from explosion of powder magazines in
their neighborhOod. The city attorney
was directed to draw an ordinance pro-
pOwder-hOuse within the city limits.
The finance committee reported IN favor
of the city borrowing $4,000 for ninety
days, at a rate not to exceed q per cent. per
UP regarding the viaduct, the filthy cOndi-
ton of the tunnel, and other matters con
nected with the new Union Station. COun-
Gilman Pearson denounced the i~nactiOn of
the Union Railway Company in the several
things that should have been and have not
been done as q scandalOus outrage, and adj
vocated that the city take steps TO get the
rights hat belong to the people, but of
which this company d%eprives them. The
plans for the viaduct have been ready for
uAOntuS, duu IOb d QOlldI , WOItu VI MOih
DONE.
A motion, introduced by Councilman
1rusler, was adopted, that the city attorney
be instructed to support the street commits
sioner in the removal of distractions on
SOuth Illinois street. and to defend any
action which may be brought against him
by the Union Railway Company.
At this point in the proceedings several
minute were wasted in horse play over a
communication signed by C.. T. Darnell. re-
Sinninu bia nncitiop &c annnciIman narnaI1
exhibited great distress over the prompt
ness shown by his fellow-members to ac-
cept the paper as genuine n allow him to
sever his connection with the Council. lie
denounced it as a forgery and the paper was
declared out of order.
A resolution was passed that a commits
sion Of four competent persons be appointed
to revise Il compile the city ordinances
for publication in book ~form-three of these
commissioners 1.-THE fourth being the city
attorney to be paid for their work at the
rate of "a a day each.
An ordinance was passed prohibiting the
standing of any public vehicle upon any
street, alley or public grounds upona asphalt
pavement. The Council then adjourned.
Report of Engineer Shearer.
In his communication to Council, last
evening, on retiring from the Office of City
Engineer, Mr.. Shearer called attention to
the need of a general system of i'm
provements in sewers, parks and
bridges. He also called attention
to the confusion in boundaries that
now exist, and suggested that some action be
taken toward the creation of a commission
of engineers to establish aud perpetuate,
with suitable liked monuments, the inter-
sections of all principal streets so that in
the future engineers would have some au-
thentic base of surveys
Other suggestions were to the effect
that %sprinkling should never be permitted
upon asphalt nor wood payements, as it has
a tendency to decay the latter and does the
former no good but to form mud. When
properly swept both pavementS should
always be free from dust in dry weather,
and consequently free from mud in wet
weather. Hack-stands hOuld be removed
from all smooth pavements, as the constant
tread of horses feet In one place is lnJurl-
Gus and their presence contributes both to
filth and unsightliness, both of which
should be prevented upon streets where the
property has been put to expense in I'M
proving. Street-sweeping, he said, has be-
come so important a factor III maintaining
cleanliness, health and comfort in cities,
that when there is any considerable amount
OF pavement no city should be without
some general system of this kin of clean
ing.
He also favored an underground system
or electric wires, and urged improvements
In the IllinoiS-street tunnel. He rehearSed
the facts connected with the viaduct prof.
ect, and advised the city's acceptance of
the Union Railway COmpany's proposition,
III connection with that work, to pay into
the city treasury an amount equivalent to
the assessment for the right of way, the
damages in judgments thus far determined,
and the estimated cost of the viaduct, it
the city will build the structure, as was
done with the Illinois-street tunnel. In re-
gard to terminal facilities, Mr.. Shearer
said:
The difficulty experienced in the past, as well
as OF recent date, of railroad companies obtain
ing track privileges from competing companies,
as well as right Of way, into the city, and the
consequent damages sustained by individual
property holders, has suggested TO my mind that,
where at all practicable, railroad companies
should be compelled TO bunch their tracks, and
those applying hereafter should seek entrance
into the city adjacent to and parallel with estab.
lisned lines Of railways. While railways ought
10 pe encouraged to come here, the granting OF
mu1vldual rights, to my mind, has long been
questionable. 1t seems to me that q proper rem
edy or the difficulties would be to grant such
franchises to terminal railroad companies only
In whlcn the rights OF the public aud of all com
petlng lines could be maintained and the difficult
Ties or constructing proper and safe crossings
over them be reduced to the minimum.
After devoting some space to natural gas
and Its management, Mr.. Shearer closes
with the following summary:
During my term of office, embracing n perioC
OF eight years aud almost four months, there have
been wrought many changes in the public i'm
provements of our city. doubt If in the history
OF the city any period could be found In which sc
many improvements of a permanent character
involving TO such an extent the future welfare
ana prosperity or the city, as the twelve months