Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-08
SIDE TALK.
Quite Good Deal of 1t in Connection with
Last Nights Council Meeting.

| council witnessed the transaction of
| considerable business left over from
| the last meeting. l.. f. Gaylord's
bill for Improvement on Fourteenth
avenue was left with the mayor and
city clerk. who will make partial
settlement on what has been paid
into the city by property holders
there. The committee on the new
| Touring mill project asked further
time in which to investigate in re-
gard to it. Important action was
also taken in regard to looking after
the floods that come down on Moline
| avenue from Twenty-seventh street
during heavy rains. 1t is proposed
| to put in a storm drain that Will
carry off the surplus water. which is
turned into that street from other
water courses in the vicinity.
The proposition of the Central
Union Telephone company to put
| telephone attachment on the police
| and fire alarm signal station came up.
The proposition is for a special wire
| that will not be connected with the
central city exchange except by con-
/ nectiOn from the police station which
| will he the central office of the alarm
| boxes. The company agrees to furn-
iSh everything and put the attach
ment in for $50 for each station per
year. providing 10 or more stations
are thus equipped. The matter was
referred to the fire and light and po-
! lice committees to report at the next
meeting. Another communication
which was referred to the proper
committee was that of the petition
; OF property owners on Sixth avenue
between Twelfth and Sevent zenith
streets to have the street brought to
! grade before laying their walks.
IrceGulatic; Come to Light.
/ There was something akin to 4 SEN
sation produced when the cOmmuni-
cation from j. y. Huntoon was read.
asking for the payment of 800 on his
contract. AT this juncture Aid. Ev-
ans arose for information. Il would
like to know Tor information" said
the alderman. where that contract
comes from and by whose authority
it was let? | have been a member
here nearly six years and | don't re-
mem Der of any such contract being
let by this council. Aid. Kennedy
explained that it had been let like
other ones on Fourteenth avenue for
instance. bat the alderman from the
Fifth said he knew all abo1t those
other ones but here was one that was
diffcreIt: Mayor Medill remarked
-sthat he-hA&Sseen copies of the con-
tract and thaf"rAse was on file in the
city clerks office. Aid. Evans asked
to have it brought out. He wanted
to get At the bottom Of it. he said.
and find out how and why it was let
without others being given chance
to bid on the work. Remember l
| don't want to charge anyone with do
ing anything wrong, " continued Aid.
Avans. but | want this whole mat
ter aired. | want to know who let
this contract and under what cOndi-
tions." The city clerk then got the
contract and read it. 1t bears date
of April is. and is for making the cut
on several side streets in connection
with the Fourth avenue pavement.
The price in the contract Is "a cents
per cubic yard, the cut to be hauled
six blocks at that price, but if the
haul is longer 8 cents per cubic yard
additional is to be charged. The
contract is in ex-Mayor McConochie's
writing and is signed by that gentle
man and attested by Robert Koehler.
city clerk, the names of c. F. Bladel
and William Kennedy also appear nc
there.
The Discussion Becomes Animated
At the conclusion of its reading.
the Fifth ward alderman reiterated
his statement that he was inquest of
information as to how that contract |
was let. Aid. Kennedy replied that |
it was in pursuance of a resolution |
of the city council to have certain |
outs made. Upon reference to that. |
however. it was found that such res
olution was only for a cut on Fourth |
street and did not apply in anyway |
to the other work named in the con-
tract Mr.. Huntoon spoke in his
own behalf. He said he accepted the |
contract and did the work in good |
faith and wanted his money. Aid.
Corken was like Aid. Evans: he
wasn't at all satisfied with that way
of doing business. he wanted it I
known. Aid. Bladel also explained
that the contract was all right, but
it didn't seem to satisfy some of the
members. and after several motions
and amendments had been made,
substitute showing that the council
disapproved of such methods was
offered by Aid. Foss and adopted.
More Paving.
The city council at its adjourned
session last evening repealed unani-
mously the ordinance hithertofore
adopted providing for the paving of
street from Third to
Fourth and Fifth to Ninth avenues
and adopted in its stead one looking