The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-11-28
is LEFT In BAD CONDITION
Rough Weather Has Caught the South
Meridian-Street Pavement Unfinished.
Northeast Drainage QusstiOn-Tslking About
aCrematOry-Queer Tampering with IN
Appropriation Ordinance.

sCrematory-Queer Tampering with an
Appropriation Ordinance.
When the Minnehaha Granite Company
was asking the Board Of Public Works for
an extension of its South Meridian-street
contract. the committee of rroperty-owners
who appeared before the board remon-
strated against the extension, claiming
that the contract could not under any cir
cumstances be completed. There has been
nothing made public by the board to show
that the contract for South Meridian street
has been extended. but it is understood
that the company was given longer time.
The state of affairs now exists that was
prognosticated by the PROBATIONARY
committee. One side of South Meridian
street has been concreted. yet the con-
tractor has been unable to do any work for
some time on account of tie weather.
There isn't one chance ia ten now that
there will be any more weather this winter
propitIous In q sufficient degree for laying
pavement. and the concrete base will be
exposed TO all kinds of weather until next
spring. As q consequence the property
owners are inclined TO protest.
Northeast Drainage.
Attorney w. v. Booker called on the
Board of Public Works as the representa-
tive of a number of people who own prop
erty in the northeastern quarter of the city.
where the ground is low and the drainage
bad. Mr.. Rocker said his object IN calling
on the board Mt this time was to ascertain
what progress had been made in the drain
age question. and to request that. in what
ever the hoard did the sanitary interests
of that portion of the city should be well
looked after. Mr.. Defrees said the sanitary
Question did not cut much of q figure In
the northeast drainage proposition. as il
was not involved to any great degree. He
thought the only question of Importance
was to get rid of the water. Before de-
parting. Mr.. Rocker stated that, ct the
proper time. he would ask that the Depart
ment of Health cooperate with the Board
of Public Works Oh the drainage question.
Apropos of this subject it should be
noted that j. III. Dennis has Just completed
adraiDage survey. having been employed
by T.. Il. M~artindale and III. II. Hanna. of
the Atlas engiDe-woIks. Another survey
was made n year ago by ex-City Engineer
James w. Brown. Six or eight months ago
Mr.. Brown communicated some of his de-
ductlOns 10 the Board Of Public Works In
writing. That communication was pub
lished in full by the News at the time.
Yesterday afternoon it was reproduced. be-
ing prefaced by this indefinite statements:
I'm a communication to the Board of Pub
lie Works MIR. Brown furnishes some inter
estlng figures and suggestions" Mr..
Browns suggestions are probably good.
but they have been before the people be-
fore.
Do Not Want the Street Narrowed.
The plat of the old State fair grounds
submitted to the Board of Public Works
provides that Exposition avenue. which is
now seventy feet in width, shall be mar
rowed to forty feet. Yesterday morning
six or seven property-owners who own
corner lots On Exposition avenue fled q
remonstrance with the board against the
street being narrowed, for the reason that
If il is done their lots would no Ion ger be
corner lots, and would consequently be-
deprecated in value. 1t is also urged that
If the street Is narrowed as proposed il
would not be WIDE enough to accommodate
the sewer being put in. The remOnstrance
was referred to the city engineer with in
structions to ascertain il Exposition ave-
nue. was ever plated seventy feet wide.
Talking About a Crematory.
Last summer when the public health was
endangered by the awful condition of the
dumping ground and temporary arrange
ments were made to bury the city's offal
the Board of Public Works began to con-
slider the question of putting In u crema-
tory, o scheme that has been tried with
more or less success in other INLAND cities.
Yesterday morning Samuel Rauh appeared
before the board. accompanied by n gentle
man who represents q mandatory en-
gagged In building furnaces for cremating
garbage. and, for some time. he explained
the uses OF the same to the board. 1t
would cost about SIS. 0c0 to put in the kind
of furnaces required for this city. The
board has not yet decided what 1t will 90.
Money tn rs Paid Out
The Board of Public Works approved
several vouchers for payment yesterday
morning. Ii will be remembered that last
Monday the board was advised by tho act
ing city attorney 10 direct Controller Wool
len to pay to Frederick Topp the amount of
his damages accruing from the opening of
North Tennessee street. it being shown
that he had dismissed his suit in the Cir
cult Court against the old board of city
commissioners. Yesterday morning the
board approved Mr.. Tops voucher for
S270. James Curzon. another property
owner damaged, was also paid $40. The
board approved the street commissioners
weekly payroll. amounting To SSG1. 30, and
that of the sewer gang. amounting TO
e64.25.
Who Tempered With tho Record?
Yesterday afternoon'cx-Fire Chief Daueh-
erty. VINO now represents the Eureka Hose
Company. was looking over some of the
musty archives of the city clerks Office.
The Eureka Hose Company claims that it
has an unpaid bill against the city for s159.
and is asking that it be paid. In looking
over the records. yesterday. Mr.. Daugherty
discovered that the amount had been in
clrded in the Appropriation ordinance of
Dec. /. 1890. but had been stricken ont by
some one. a lead-pencll mark having been
drawn through II. Mr.. Dougherty asked
City Clerk Swift and other attaches of the
Office if they knew ANYTHING about the mat
ter. but ali protested Ignorance. The mat
ter will DO Investigated.
Small Contract Awarded.
The board yesterday morning awarded
To L. t. Sheeban the contract for lowering
the crown of the cistern at the corner of
Meridian and Palmer streets. The price
was sl60. Mr.. Sheehan said he had built
the cistern with a capacity of $500 barrels.
but as the contract only called for one of
two Thousand barrels capacity he was only
allowed the contract price.
Finished Part of College Avenue.
Manager Marshall, of the Minuehaha
Granite Company. notified the Board Of
DuhIic VarEa vast.rdav uorninr &bot ha