Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-04-10
A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW
HAK0TORY OF THE PREaKS HT
ADRMHPS 0TRATKON.

WIFI ExpAre im DKaY-9GraRse
Fr0rm The ReGOrS1.
In years to come, when political writ |
ers shall compile the history of Asheyille,
it is quite certain that no municipal ad-
ministration will be given SO much space
as the one which began in May, 1891.
and which will close it's existence in
May, 1893.
No more evenftul administration has
ever been the lot of the city. Never have
the people given to the work of the city
officials 80 much attention as they have
during the past year and 10 months.
And, knowing these facts. and realizing
that the time for the ward conventions
10 now not far off, THE CITIZEN proposes
to print. from day to day until it il con-
cluded, faithful, concise review of the
work of the administration that is soon.
in part. at least, to become a thing of
the past.
The members of the Board of Aldermen
with the exception of MIR. Gudger, who
was siekl took the oath Of Office in
Park hotel on Monday. May 1S, 1891,
| the mayor being too i'll to come down
town, The Board then was composed
ward. c. b. Leonard. ]. Hamp. Mellow
ell and w. T. Reynolds, the latter of
At the first meeting of the Joint Board
on the 22d of May. the members began
talking about the expenditures of the
Improvement fund in street work. Com
| mittees were appointed ON paving. and
instructed to report as early az possible.
The time of the meeting e on May %
of the question of removing the fire de
partment from the new city hall as origi-
| na1ly planned, and the making of an
alley bet ween the hall and the Rawls
property from court place to Spruce
street.
On the I'd of June the paving commit
| tee had no report to make, and there
was a further discussion of the city hall
The Brother Act
| The meeting which gave the Aldermen
| the greatest notoriety was held on the
night OF June 5. for the election of city
| officers. The hall then used bv the
Board lover Wolfe's marble store) was
| too small to accommodate the crowd
gathered to witness the proceedings. and
the meeting was held in the court house.
The folio wing officers were elected, a
result OF combine that had become ap-
| Nothing like that nights work had ever
before, or since, been known. The officers
elected were: Recorder, F. M. Miller;
clerk, w. r. Young; chief of police. w. G.
Mcdowell; superintendent of streets. w.
B. Clayton; attorney, T. HI. Cobb; tax
Rankin; building inspector. e. w Burk
holder; sanitary inspector, z. V. Brevard;
superintendent of water works. ]. M.
Ingle; physician, E. c. Starnes.
| There were Eve tie votes in the election
1.-THE ties being ]. M. Green and F. M.
son
Reuben McBrayer and 7. H. Cobb for
attorney; ]. Y Jordan and N. A. Reynolds
for collector: j. A. Burroughs and E. c.
iStarncs for physician. In these cases the
l vote was united by Mayor BIanton- A
force of policemen was also elected. with
three of whom this account will have TO
do particularly. The three were c. w.
IGoodlake. w. r. Gudger and c. Leon
The Erect <,r, tine E.~ouae.
When the result of the meeting became
kno wn the people of the town were par
alyzed. Indignant comment was made
on every hand, and it is doubtful Vvhethe,
there was a man In Asheville. outside o
those directly interested, who did not
condemn the action of the Aldermen
| The reason for this will be seen when ii
is stated that every member of thu
er-in-law in office. Indeed. some O
them did not stop at one relative. Mr.
Gudger having a son and brother-in
law. and Mr.. Leonard having a brothe
and a brother-in-law. This parcelini
out of the offices caused an outburst OIL
the part OF poet. % whose , s6n1E e11E. wa
being taken therefrom:
sssh He s on r1sna ts.n oh: ss sss sSsnfi s hall;
sEsssef e: :..s tat: s:ettetor~
Thss tssS ssesd sss ssiet'n' to suit you
Then hIl the hall
| With Inirthfu1 gleo
And the colony lives
| Disgusteo.
OF the act of the Board THE CrTzE
said editorially: Perhaps the mos
1amentable. the most serious part OF thi
sickening Alderman-broth her-tamily-re
iOn-at-the-city's-ex s-expense business II tha
the good sense and the sincerity OF til
new Aldermen are impeached by the
truly remarkable performance Frida
night. This 10 greatly to /
regretted because the work of the ne,
Board 10 to be the most important in tt
history of the city" THE CITIZEN wer
ON to suggest that the brothers an
brothers-in-law decline the offices an
| thus avoid the scandal. This adviC
was taken by but one of those elected.
The Soma of Leisure on the fo1lowin
day. unanimously adopted this resol'
ton: THAT shall ask the nez
Legislature to create Offices sufficient t
give to every man and his brother a mic
fat berth"
Il On the 9Th of June TIE CITIZEN mott
ing that the time was slipping ava
urged ''the necessity for much WORK
the way of street Improvement bcfo
the winter comes"
Alderman Starnes announced at
meeting held on the 9Th of June that
was in favor OF saving every Possib
dollar to the city, and proposed to vo
that way for the next four years. 4
the same meeting the MontfOrd avcu,
2. car line was ordered laid in [ he middle
the street and the street decided ON to
SO feet wide.
The Hospital Case.