St. Landry democrat., 1892-12-03
The Jail Painting Job.

Some time ago the Jail was painted
and some toady promptly wrote com
munication to the Sheliff's paper, prais
ing him for the thoughtfulness and
consideration" displayed 10y him. Some
good people at once supposed that pos
sibly The Sheriff, feeling some compunc-
tions of conscience, had devoted few
of the dollars eXtorted from delinquent
taxpayers to this work. But few
/ weeks afterwards there appeared in the
minutes of the police jury the following
claim approved: ct. 5. FoutcnOt, cash
paid to clean aud paint Jail, S65," We
thought this was pretty steep-for q
! free ,job-but RETAINED from comment
ing upon it. The Courier, however, re-
ferred to the matter, aud in its article
said: 1--WE do know that the painting
of the Jail has cost more than it would
had the work been open to competition,
instead of being controlled by the Sher-
iff in the interest of some of his pets"
This struck the Sheriff in tender place,
and thinking he could lead The police
jury around by the nose like he leads
some other people, he appeared before
that body Oh the 18th uit. with a resolu-
ton which be had himself written up,
declaring said article unjust and un-
founded" and watching his opportunity
sprung it upon the jury while the editor
of the Courier was absent. The editor
turned up in the nick of time, however,
and promptly sat down on the Sheriff
and his little resolution, and another
and an entirely different ono was adept
ed in its stead.
1t appears that tEt editor of thc Cnu-
lier then got an inkliDe that tI!samount
of $50 was not all by IL good deal that
the thoughtfu!ness and considera-
ton" Of the Sheriff ill this matter had
cost the paiisI ; and as he had read in
the sheritf's card few weeks ago that
his record as a public servant is an
open book to be read by all men who
may choose to take the trouble to look
into it, he concluded he would take a
little peep iGto that " open book" But
he found more trouble" than he ey-
pected. In the first place. The "bo0k
was not easily accessible III Tie next
place. it was closed when found aud
when opened it was discovered that the
jail painting matter was so ObScured
and clouded and befogecd with sun
dries''-aud whisky--tlat it was difficult
TO say precisely how much the job had
cost. However, the sequel is best tod
in the Courlels words. 1t says:
We thought We had made IL final disposition /
of the Jail painting job, but ITS the sheriff has
seen tit to revive ii, we are now in position to
assert that ii Is considerable more of Job than
we had thought. The sheriff moi only gets $6J |
for a piece OF work that experts value at about |
$40 hut we find that bills to the amount Of !
9I.43 for ''slndries, etc, was approved to I. /
s. Fontcnot at the meeting OF Sept. 18th. and |
Il bill for paints, tIlrpentlne, etc, including |
whisky, for S6.65 to MIR. Robert Chachcrc. In
trying to locate that S91.i3 for stlntirles," we
found bill of Mr.. JOS. Lasal!e's for $64.s3 ior
paints, oil, turpcntlne, brushes, etc. etc.
which also includes several entries for whisky |
and We suppose there is where part of S9I As
'or "sundres" comes in, which. however, still
caves S26. 80 Of sllndries " not accounted for
1t would seem to be i'll order now for the She
ions, or at least to offer some more explicit
explanations.
According to the documents Oh file, and the
,fflciaI proceedings of the Police Jury, We figure |
,u5 that the painting of the Jail and :" sun
lries ''-(and whisky has cost the tax payers
ust about Sl63.03, which is pretty steep for a
oh that was bossed by one who has always pre-
ended to be so extremely socltous in the mat
er OF economizing public money.