Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-14
THE MUNICIPAL KINDERGARTEN.
MAYOR coMsTocK INTRODUCES HIS
UNIQUE SYSTEM
Of Running City on the Windmill idea
He Votes Against New Sew
age Pump.

1nere was special meeting last evening
OF the City Board of Trustees to receive
and act upon the report of City Engineer
Pierson. giving an estimate of the cost of a
proper pump to rid the southwestern part
of the city of surplus drainage and sewage,
the pump now in use having been found
unfit for the work and constantly reouir-
ing repairs.
When the members of the Board lad
taken their seats Mayor Comstock was OBJ.
served to wear serious expression. And
his looks did not belle him, for he had no
sooner seated himself than he informed
Trustee Wolf that he thought the latter
owed him an explanation.
Mr.. Wolf said that if he did he did not
know it.
The Mayor referred to something that
had occurred at the preceding DAYS meet
ing and intimated that the Third Trustee
had in some respects exceeded the limits of
parliamentary decorum.
That was not the way the Mayor put it.
but was apparently about what he meant.
Mr.. Wolf retorted that he felt capable of
attending to his end of the municipal ma
chinery, and that the best thing for the
Mayor to do would be to attend to his ::
that whenever the latter wished to meet
him halfway in matters of courtesy he
Wolf would be there
The acrimonious debate was brought to
a sudden terminrtion by the arrival of
reporters on the scene, and the Mayor
called the Board to order
ESTIMATES FOR DRAINAGE PUMPING.
City Engineer Pierson then submitted
his report on the drainage pump, as fol-
lows:
The capacity of the Y-street pump is about
10000 gallons per hour. In the year 1889 the
pump was operated 120 days, on an average of
u hours per day, and cost the city about 81 500
or at the rate of 81 so per hour.
This year there will be 20 per cent. more sew
erage to handle, and the pump will have to
average II hours per day for 10 days in order
to keep the sewerage down. This, at the same
rates, will cost 81 ,636 for the year.
A high-lift pump will do the same amount of
work in about seven hours per day, as it has a
capacity of 30 gallons per hour thereby saving
for the city between $500 and 5000 per year.
The estimate of the cost OF the plant will be
about as follows:
One Pinch pump. 81. 200
Eighty-eight feet of 1S-inch pipe............ lie
Changing foundation go. ......... ............. 200
1t will take about 2S feet more of pipe to turn
the water down at the end of the discharge, at
cost OF $50, making the real total 81 $3.50.
ANYTHING WILL ANSWER
Mayor Comstock said he had not changed
his views in regard to the matter He
still thought the old pump could be made
to answer the purpose, and that the city
should not incur any more expense.
In regard to the expense of running the
pump, Clerk Mckee said the expense last
year was about ST. 700.
Engineer Pierson said there would be so
much more sewage to handle this year
that the expense would probably reach
$1,000. He never liked the present pump.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he didn't want to
take any chances of the pump breaking
down, and moved that the Board purchase
a pumping outfit, to cost not over 81, 700
complete.
1t was so ordered, Mr.. Comstock voting
no.
BAD SIDEWALKS.
Mr.. Wolf said he had been informed
that plank sidewalk had been laid along
the Mesick property on Eighth street. be-
tween e and +, and that it was an unsafe
one
He also called the Boards attention to
complaints that had reached him about
sidewalks at Fifteenth and F, Nineteenth,
between / and J, and Others.
Engineer Pierson said that all the side
walks on l street. from Second to Fifth,
were in bad shape.
Mr.. Pierson, as Sidewalk Inspector, was
notified TO look after the places mentioned.
A DISGUISED TRUSTEE.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he would like to
have the Mayor explain why he was op-
posed to the purchase of new pump.
The Mayor replied that it was because
he nt hJr,ly I'll ~
expense.
Mr.. Mclaughlin said he did not like this
halfway style of doing Business. He did
not want, because the matter came within
his department, to have to bear more than
his share of public criticism, in case every
thing did not work satisfactorily.
81 don't think it is right, Mr.. Mayor
said he, "for you to sit there and vote
against everything that costs the city dol
lar. The drainage and sewage must be got
rid of and we must have the necessary
machinery to handle it."
SOME MORE ECONOMY.
Mayor Comstock said proposition had
been made to have the ordinance providing
for the bond election published in both
daily papers. He thought it should have
wide publicity, but didn't like the idea OF
having 10 pay tor it.
have it published FIVE times in the RECORD.
UNION, instead Of ten Pr
Trustees Wolf and Mclaughlin both said
they thought that in the matter of so inn
portant an election, the publication should
be in both papers for the full time, and moi
restricted to one, like ordinary city adver
Using.
Mayor Comstock remarked that by ad
vertising the ordinance but five times $50
could be saved. And S35 comes in pretty
handy sometimes he added. when you
are short of money!
Trustee Wolf had already made motion
to have the ordinance advertised as pro
posed for ten days.
"Well," said the Mayor, call the roll or
Mr.. VOLTS motion"
NO replied the latter II withdraw
my motion. You're determined to vote
against H."
AN AWKWARD SILENCE ENsUED.
The Mayor looked about uneasily, ant
when the silence had begun to get painful
he remarked
rs there are any further business befor,
the Board 2"
No response.
81 guess we'd better adjourn. Does any
body make motion to adjourn
Trustee Mclaughlin was engaged in ex
aiming some hgures before MIN, Truste'
Wolf was gazing at the gas-jet, as if to SCI
if there was any gas getting away, and no
body spoke.
The newspaper man who usually make
the motion for the Board to adjourn wa
present, and looked as if he wanted to sa,
something, but for once he felt restrain
upon himself, and said nothing.
Then the Mayor resorted to heroic mea
sures, and declaring the session adjourned
got up, took his hat and left. 1t was evi
dent that he was not in very amiabl
mood.
AT THE ART GALLERY.
New Arrangement in the Cabinet-Th,
School of Design-Etc.
AT the Art Gallery there is considerable
activity just now. The Ladies' Museum
Association has just placed new schola