Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-02-18
ALL IN A MIDDLE.
Here's d Pretty State of Affairs
at Geneseo.
SERIOUS CONFLICT RAGING.

e SERlOUS UURfLlUI RHGlNG'
An AmusingIy Peculiar Predicanent in
Which the City Finds ItseIf-InyoIves
the Mayor, an Editor, the City Attorney
and a Corporation President, and Only
Two People Are Making the Trou bic At
ter All
maTk 4ble predicsment. Henry L Kiner
is editor of the News OF that city and is
also mayor of the city. Hon G. W.
Durham is city attorney and is president
OF the electric light company of Geneseo.
This corporation furnishes the power for
running the pump at the city water
works. The South Side school at Geneseo
was recently destroyed by fire. and 1t is
claimsd the destruction was due 10 the
failure of the waterworks. the electric light
company having neglected to furnish a
efficient head OF steam. E iitor Kiner
assumed this position in his paper
and backed up his assertions in
his official capacity as executive
of the city. The cons, q1ence has been
the institution of municipal investiga>
ton, and number of special council
meetings have been held to take matters
INTO consideration. one having been
called at o'clock in the afternoon. Pub
lie feeling up there in the Maple City has
| hppn nnnHr la IF hou
sure il the wsterworks has not. At the
last council meeting. it was decided to
make test Of the waterworks power fur
nished bY the light company and when
the mayor ordered the city attorney to
notify the president OF the com psny to
make the test. thht combined individual
declined to act. The story OF the difficult
ty would furnish a Oh spter for the Arizo-
ma Kicker. Spt skiug of the visit of the
council in a body TO the Office of Dir Dun
ham, the News says:
Charges and Counter Charges.
The mayor made formal request to
be permitted 10 test the works, stating
that the reason was because OF the fail
ure of the water works at the North Side
school house fire. President Durham
= theIeupon let loose food of rancour
and profsnity, directed TO the MAYOR,
whom be accused of hostility to the com.
psDy. Being pressed to give his reasons
! for the charge of hostility, Durham said
The mayor had complained about the
street lighting.
As the company had broken their con-
tract Hlmest every evening since the
may Or's term of office, frequently no,
turning on the lights until an hour after
dark, when the terms OF the contract
read that they shall be turned on ~hen
they wi make better light than at the
time exists: ard rs cd people. women
and chiidrtn are abroad. In tue early even
ing. going to church and among the
neighbOrs. the mayor has insisted on the
city getting what it pays for.
Durham said that the mayor had not
Gem planned to any fficer of the com paDy.
The mayor had complained to Waterman
in presence of witnesses
The mayor has DO reason to BE- hostile
to the company II was be who brought
Electrician Rimer to the city, thus giving
: the first impetus to electric lighting in
Geneseo.
Hostility Charged
Durham claimed this move 10 invests
gate the fire apparatus and works wes OF
piece with the other "hostiltF." He
( said the News was to blame for the feel
ing against the company As the fire was
on Wednesday night, and the News d
not appear till the next Wednesd7y ever :
, ing, this is pal pabe mistake rle News
then said that there was no pressure. and
did not mention the Electric Light Co az
al, or attempt to locate the fault.
The mayor proposes to ceDdu the
city's business the same as he would his
own When he employs printers in his
office. or buys anything or contracts with
any person, he insists upon getting what
he pays for.
When Attorney Durham made con-
tract with Electrician Durham to do the
city pumping, be did not overburden the
city with privileges. But among these
was one emitting the city to 60 pounds
steam pressure
The mayor vented to know if the CITY
had had the pressure on the occasion of
the recent fire. To determine tals, was
the object OF that meeting. II the pres
sure had been provided. then the fault
must be in the mains, hydrsnts or hose.
He wanted to locate the cause and re,
move it, In case of another fire for the
protection of the city. He bad sworn to
do his duty by the city. and he PROMISES
to do it. without fear or favor =
The entire city WAS, and is in danger of
being burned to ashes, pending the pre-
parsti"n of a formal request from the
couacil as body, to the electric light
company, TO permit an investigation,
which red tape President d imam insists
upon.
Ina Queer Position.
Tn, mayor requested Attorney Dun
ham to prepare this formal req nest for
the council to act upon at the regular
meeting Tuesday evening The response
was that he csnnO, act as the cily's at
torueY as between the city and the com
PAW, of which he is the president. 1t is
presumable that it might be the same
should the CITY have case with the rail-