Smyrna times., 1892-03-09
Retirement of a Faithful Town
Official.

John B. Cooper, after term of
twelve consecutive years in the Board
of Town Commissioners, retires from
it's councils, a relief which he appreci-
ates, though always ready to serve the |
community where demands are made |
upon him, In some respect the time |
of his incumbency has been among the
most momentOus of our history in the
way of municipal obligations and i'm
proVements, chief of which has been
the water works and the means, per
consequence, of fighting fires, a relief
on the nervous strain of anxiety that
was quickened by every bOyish call on
the street and it might almost be said,
! by every passing breeze.
MI. Cooper is a man of thought and
investigation, and having carefully
! looked into the thing in all its barings,
was decidedly in favor Ofa complete sys-
tenn of water works as against tempor-
izing methods. There was a strong
opposing party who wanted a system
of wells or cisterns because it would be
cheaper but which the Commissioners
who had gained their information from
far and near knew would be unsatisfa0-
tory and waste of money. The former
went to Dover with a remOnstrapce
against the pending act of incOrpOra-
tion claiming they had a majority of
property holders against it, but the
commissioners thought to the con-
trary, aud through the committee,
Messrs, Cooper, HOieckeT and Taylor,
so plead and worked for their bill be-
fore the Legislature. Fortunately
Wilson 7. Lavender, was In the Sen
ate, and as a representative of the
town rendered them very efficient ser
vice, and finally as a compromise
measure the bill was passed cOndi-
toned on its being endorsed by vote
! of the property holders, WHICH wat
: done, and thus we have our system o
water works, with everybody gratifeC
at the result. But, had it not beer
for the "sticktuitiveness" of Messr
> Cooper, Hoffecker, Taylor, Farie
VIM, A. aud other members of tn
the Board of Commissioners we SHOULD
! not have got what we needed the
: and tie same discOuragements Nigh
have remained In force until to-day
= = Two other features which have occur
= red during the time above Teferret
y to, set on foot by what Is termed tn
: "old Board" (which was sometime
though little slow by those who di
! not know the resources at their hanC
:, Il were the remodeling and enlarging
y the unsightly old Town Hall and il
:, conversion into beautiful room fC
y entertainments with the larger desiG
o nation of Opera House," and, II
stOning of the principal part of con
! merce street and the Smelling OF II
of others.
~ ~ Except the matter of sewerage f
- the town, which will hardly clai
Is active attention until the obligation
le tor public improvements includir
% the fine public school building whiC
7, is part and parcel of the periOd) a
y nearly liquidated.
q ss During the twelve years that M
u, Cooper has held the Office cOnsec
~ lively The had been in the Oard b
i's fore) he has been the secretary of 4
III corporation. He has filed the duti
70 of the Office with notable accuracy al
nc no efficiency, thoroughly acquainted wi
nc all the details belonging to the corpo
ate affairs of the town, and If the ne
Board in its reorganization selects o
who will be as accessible and famil
os with details, it will be fortunate
bis those having such public business
transact,