Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-14
WILL TRY IT AGAIN.
Proposals for the New Poor Farm to
Be Opened Saturday Week.
ELLIOT AND GOURLEY SATISFIED.
Property to Be Purchased Must Baye the
Approval of the Mayor.
BROAD ACRES AND PLENTY OF THEN

Proposals for the sale of a new poor farm
will be opened on Saturday, January "A.
This second round is expected to be sue
cessiul. The size of the farm is to be any
where from 200 to 400 acres. That was the
decision reached yesterday by the Board OF
Awards. Both the Mayor and Chief Elliot
are satisfied.
The three chiefs of the departments and
Clerk Bingamen had been waiting for some
little time when Mayor Gourley entered
with preoccupied air. Bending over
Clerk Bingamen he innocently inquired the
cause of the meeting and then called the
body to order.
Chief Elliot read the specifications and
moved their adoption. Mayor Gourley at
once desired to have the paper altered so
that the purchase would have TO be ap-
proved by Councils and the Mayor.
Chief Elliot said, That's matter for the
City Attorney to determine, and the matter
was dropped for the time, while Chief
Brown inquired about the number OF acres,
since the specification left that blank.
Chief Elliot thought there should not be
less than 200, because small farm could
not be worked to advantage-40O acres
would be about the right size. The Mayor
suggested the acreage run from 200 to AGO.
and his idea was accepted.
The Mayor on His Own Approval.
Then Mr.. Gourley insisted that provision
be made to have the purchase approved by
the Mayor. He said: "In the case of the
old farm the Mayors approval was not necess-
ary as the land sold was specified and described
hut under a recent ruling of the Court where
the property to be purchased was not described
and located by the ordinance, the Mayors ap-
TTuval was necessary before the Controller
could issue a warrant for the payment of the
purchase money. l have no personal feeling in
the matter. bur it should be in the advertise
ment in order TO escape any legal difficulties" +"
Mr.. BIgelow contended that the specifications
were plain enough in that matter.
Mr.. Elliott-Well put it in then. approved
by the Mayor and Councils
NO, no. said the Mayor, Il don't want it
that way for if Councils approve and the
Mayor does not then the matter will need to be
settled in the courts. l would suggest that it
be warded so as TO require the approval of the
purchase by a resolution of Councils, SO that
while Will have to pass on the resolutions my
dI>approval will not affect the purchase So that
We viii get into court over it.
The Mayor again went on to state the points
raised by the court recently. when Controller
Morrow refused t. pay for a lot purchased for
lie Fire Bureau in the Thlrty-tifth ward, be-
chase. At that time the court decided that
when the purchase of a piece of ground was
authorized by Councils and the ordinance auth
Orizing the purchase specified the boundaries
aud the exact amount of ground contained in
the tract. il was not necessary for Councils to
PASS upon the purchase after7gard, though, the
Mayor said. the court had strongly iDtimated
that where the boundaries were not specified
the purchase should he approved by Councils
and passed upon by the Mayor.
Mr.. BEelow said he was only anxious to
L., E,-T1,
any obstacles he moved To- amend by inserting
by resolution of Councils" as the Mayor had
suggested.
Tie amendment was agreed to- and after fix.
ing the date FOR closing bids at o'clock on the
afternoon OF January q, the meeting was ad-
journed.
The Mayor afterward expressed great salts
faction over the specifications. and although lie
gained his point in the limiting of the number
Of acres and in the matter of the approval of
the purchase, did not seem to eXult much over
the victory. He WAS glad, also, that the speci-
fic1tl0Us rtGGred owners of property To bid
themselves, thus shutting out Spectators from
building on land upon which options had been
secured.
Exact Terms of the Specifications.
The specifications, with The amendments
made, arc follows:
Proposals for sale OF 4 tract or tracts of land to
the City Of Pittsbrr-:
~ Office is hereby given in accordance with
the terms of an ordinance of the city of Pitts
burg. emitted, An ordinance directing adyer-
tisements for proposals to the city of Pittsburs
for the sale TO the city OF real estate 10 be used
for the relief aud employment of the poor, and
also providing for the reception and
opening Of said proposals and subsequent
action IN reference theretu and also
providing means Cor the payment of such Dur-
chase, that the City Controller of the city of
PlttsUurG will receive sealed proposals until )
o'clock T II. on January a, 1891. for the sale to
the cry oi such tract or tracts OF land, which
sealed proposals shall be in writing executed
and Acknowledged by the owner or owners of
the tract or tracts propysin To be sold. and
agreeing to sell said tracts nj land TO the city of
PIJtsOUrE, and TO convey the same to said ciIy
IN fee simple clear of-all iuCun branees and by
a deed of general warranty. and for a sum
stated in cash, each of said proposals shall
give 10 the city of Pittsburg the option. for 80
days tTom lis date, to buy or refuse to buy said
pTonerty at the price named.
The land embraced in any of the tracts so of
fered for sale TO the city of PittSburg shall be
located within the county of Allegheny and
shall front upon river and shall have railroad
facilities FOR ready access thereto and there
from. and shall contain not less than - acres
The right l. hereby reserved To reject auy
and all proposals made in response to this adyer-
usement, and no approval of purchase made by
the thclals Of the CITY OF Pittsburg as provid-
e. IN the third section of the ordinance herein
sald city Of Piitsburg until the same shall have
city OF PIttsDurg, as provided by law.
"R. &. ELLIOT
"Chief Department of Charities"