The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-06

The common Council of Roanoke,
aping the manners of Sanhedrims,
Vehmgerichts, Venetian Council OF
Ten, the United States Senate and
other feudatory and predatory bodies,
went into secret session last night to
discuss certain affairs of the people,
which the Council considered extremely
hurtful for the people to hear.
Really the Council did not think so,
but Mayor Evans wanted to say some
things privately to Council about the
police force in general and Chief Terry
in particular which he would not say
publicly, and Council humored him.
The public and reporters were politely
ushered out from the warm, cosy Coun-
Gil chamber, with its dashes of color,
cobwebs and coal dust on the ceiling,
into the cold, damp drizzling world out
side.
Then the grand talkee-tal began.
Mayor Evans threw himself upon tho
palpitating bosom of Council and met.
aphorically wopt. He admitted that
in attempting to handle the police force
an able bodied pair of ten. ton shears
would be needed to bite off a fair sized
chew, and hundred-ton trip hammer
would be needed to aid him to chew
what he had bit off. 1t was tough job.
The force was disorganizsd from the
top down. 1t wrangled and cabeled and
bickered. The chief was unable to keep
his temper or discipline the force.
Then the force lacked conference and
will. Tho mayor thought they ought
IN h atrta hrnly Nf
impromptu social held for st. Frailins
benefit few weeks ago and yet not one
of them struck lick for liberty and
license.
The only relief was, in Mayor Evans
opinion, radical changes. The present
chief was charged with being q drunkard
and wife beater, and so stronghly that an
investigation or a change could not be
avoided. Would the Council stand by
him? The Council said it would, through
the remarks of several members, and
the mayor immediately threw off jag
of carking care as intense as If no had
been splitting light wood with a du,i
axe on q bag of dyna mite.
In about two days Mayor Evans may
be expected to spit on his hands, rub
them in the sand and fill the air with
rapidly revolving fragments of the finest
he said.
Then Council, being in it's own private
cellar, took the clothes off from the city
and had a real good cry over every
mole, scar and strawberry mark which
the poor young thing had in sight. The
work on the streets was hauled over,
the city engineers Office got raked, the
sewer work done was condemned for its
excessive cost, and other departments
were curried with cat and combed
with harrow.
After a little brine was put on to
pickle the cuts, Council took squirt at
the permanently avements and concluded
that the street committee had presented
a feasible plan. Then they buckled ON
their faces, Waller p. Huff unlocked
the door and the secret session was
over.
Council met in regular session at 8
O'Clock last night, Messrs, McClelland,
Mcconnell, Camp, McCahan, Ruggles,
Huff, Watts, Welsh, Engleby and King
answering at roll call. Mr.. Engleby
was elected president pro TEN. in the
absence of President Buckner.
The mayor recommended that an or
dinance imposing fine for removing
ropes placed across streets and for fast
driving over overhead and other bridges
be adopted. The city solicitor prepared
the ordinances. fixing the fines at $40
and IS respectively, which were adopted.
AT the request of the mayor Council
decided that all parties selling fresh
meats, fresh fish or live fowls away
from the market house should be sub
jected to q fine of not less than $40 for
each offense.
The city solicitor reported that Judge
Dupuy, of the circuit court, had decided
that the city of Roanoke must pay the
Gas and Water Company for water fur
nished for municipal buildings and that
tho supreme court OF appeals had
affirmed the decision of the Hastings
Court that the Gas and Water Company
must bear the expense of lowering its
pipes in the streets whereon grade of
same was changed.
The board Of public works reported
that twenty-five building permits had
been granted.
The finance committee recommended
harness and badges for the fire depart
ment, and an appropr iation of 5000 for a
driver for the Third ward engine house
and $3.50 for salary for tho auditor for
the balance of the fiscal year; also that
the bills of Messrs. Herring and Gray,
sanitary engineers, for $500 each, be
paid. The recommendations were
adopted
MIR. Watts, of the street committee,
submitted the following report, which
was received:
To THE CITY Council OF ROANOKE:
Your committee, as instructed, has had
a conference with the board OF public
works and city engineer in regard to the
paving of the streets of the city, and
make the following recommendation:
That an advertisements be inserted in