Wichita eagle., 1889-01-23
CITY COUNCIL.
Special Meeting Yesterday Afternoon to Cor
slider Sewer Bonds Adjourned.

special Meeting Yesterday Afternoon to Con
slider Sewer Bonds Adjourned.
AS was intimated in the EAGLE Sunda,
morning, an early meeting of the cit.
council, to consider the advisability of ad
vertising for probable bids for the sewe
bonds soon to be issued, was called TO
yesterday aftern oon. The situation i
about this: The city had expected to b
able to issue the sewer bonds on or abou
January 1, and not later than February l
In order to expedite matters the contrac
was let and work begun sooner than i
would otherwise have been. But on &C
count of some unexpected delays of an un
| avOidable and vexatious but not of per-
manent character (at certain few points,
the work of advertising the bonds for tn.
work of the entire system, the bids fol
which must be advertised for as whole
| the city has been unable to turn SO adver.
| tise and sell the bonds. For that reason
| the contractors have not SO far received
any payments of bonds, or from the pro
| ceeds of sales of bonds, with which to pros
ecute their work, and they estimate, in fact
| they say that unless the city can so arrange
matters that they (the contractors) car
| lhloO IhOACt oPoh chS PAcPc5SN DOI~'',
| work will have to be delayed upon the
sewer system until such time as the bonds
can be fioated
If the question is properly presented to
| the EAGLE representative. this does not
necessarily imply that work must be
stopped forthwith, but it is more ques-
| tion of policy on the part Of the CITY, The
contractors are able they say to get parties
who will carry them if the city will agree
| to turn over the sewer bonds at par when
issued. The city On the other hand says
| (at least some of the members of the coun-
Gil say that if these bonds, two hundred
and sixty-five thousand dollars worth, are
furnished at par the contractors will get
the benefit of the premium, which may,
it is said. amount to some twelve or four
teen thousand dollars This, they
claim the city should receive A nice
little legal question also arises here. Can
the present council, which may go out
and be succeeded by newly organized
council, bind its successor to issue bonds
under the circumstances? The city at
torney is quoted as saying, it can not, and
that is the law.
The meeting yesterday afternoon was
for the purpose of discussing this matter
and when resolution was offered which
in effect authorized the city clerk to ad-
vertise in Chicago, New York and Boston
papers for bids upon the bonds to be de-
livered in the future, the city attorney
told them that would not be legal, and
after some running discussion the matter
was dropped and an adjournment taken
The ms ftar iS still IL, ct I'm pnO
CINCINNATI PROPERTY FOR WICHITA
PROPER
There are not many instances on record
in which Wichitans have displayed want
of pluck, but the following occurrence is
not without point: Within the present
month A. ID. Wheeler. Esq. of North En-
poria avenue, when in conversation with a
new neighbor soon discovered that his
neighbor had well defined opinions re-
spectng the business features and value
of real estate in Wichita. Next day the
two gentlemen, accompanied by lawyer
John Z Adams, met at the real estate Of
flee of Mccoy & Hotchkiss on Douglas
avenue and upon introduction to several
property holders and prominent business
men of this city who chanced to be in the
office, Mr.. Wheeler's neighbor in reply to
a few leading questions said: I have
been a resident of Wichita during
the past five months and of Cincinnati
for forty years preceding that time,
and imagine l have what might
be called slight knowledge of the two
cities. Here's map of Cincinnati and
the blue pencil marks show the location of
some property / have there; the business
and residence property is rented and the
unimproved lots are well located. Now l
understand | am in presence of owners OF
property in Wichita and being asked for
an opinion / do not know how to express
myself better than to suggest that L am
ready this moment to write and sign an
article of agreement stipulating that this
Cincinnati property may be appraised by
three men, one of the number to be
selected by me, one by either of the
Wichita property owners and those two
shall agree upon a third appraiser. In the
same manner three appraisers are to be
chosen by any property owner of Wichita
and Wichita property is to appraised in the
same manner The language of the agree
ment controlling valuation of the
two sets of appraisers would of
course be exactly the same whether
the words present cash value"
or probable future value are used is wholly
to me. After the value is as
certained by such appraisement l will
deed any or all of this Cincinnati property
for Wichita property, dollar for dollar of
and it is of course understood
that the title of such piece of property is
perfect and unincumbered. Is this propo-
stion fair2 / am ready to act; what say
you, gentlemen? There was no acceptor,
and after few moments of eloquent
silence the ex- -Cincinnatian good-naturedly
remarked that it may not seem fair to
conceal one point that might assist his
newly made friends in deciding whether
or not to accept his proposition; it was
this: Cincinnati real estate is valued for
at about one-half it market value
and the tax rate on that is nearly s. on
the s1o0, while Wichita real estate is
valued at about one-fcurth its market
value and taxed at about 81 on the $780, !
At this point the Claire Pattee band,
headed bv its drum maioress. which was |
passing rIIed the alr with magic music |
and the real estate nabobs dispersed.
VISITING RAILWAY OFFICIALS
A special arrived in the city yesterday |
,,ornipo haarino q " Ca1a tho oauaraI 1