Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-11
CITY COUNCIL

The regular semi-monthly meeting of
the City Council last night attacted but
few spectators. Some routine business
WAS transacted, and several matters of
interest were referred to committees,
among the latter an ordinance granting
the right of way through the streets of
Alexandria to railway TO be built by
l.. w. Spear and others, to be operated
by electricity OF horse power.
BOARD OF ALDERMAN.
Seven Aldermen were present at the
appointed hour for meeting, but moth
ing was before the board when it was
called TO order, and after the minutes
Of the last meeting had been read the
members formed Gordon around the
big stove and waited for something to
turn up from the Common Council,
during which interval some amusing
anecdotes were told by different ones in
the assembly. The only congenial
quarters were in close proximity to the
stove, and so frigid was the tempera-
ture in other parts Of the room that it
was discovered that the contents Of the
water cooler were frozen into solid
block. 1t was so cold that it was diff
cult TO write with Il pen, the ink being
about to freeze.
In about fifteen minutes several pa
pers were brought in from the Common
Council, among them an ordinance
granting Luther w. Spear and others
the privilege Of building and operating
an electric railroad through certain
streets Of the city. The Aldermen con-
Cured in the action of the lower board
in referring the ordinance to the COM
mittee on streets. They also concurred
in the action Of the Common Council on
the other papers.
The Aldermen were then invited to
the chamber Of the Common Council
for the purpose of participating in the
election of School Trustees and Ply
sician to the Poor and upon their re-
turn,
Mr.. Leadbcater, from the committee
on public property, presented petition
from w. II. Smith, City Sergeant, com
planning ofthe insecurity Of the Jail as
a prison on account of the alleged low
ness of the wall, the coping, &C. Mr..
Leadbeatcr said he had made an eX-
animation ofthc premises, during which
the Jail officials had caused q colored
man to play the part of an escaping
prisoner. The latter had tied strips
of a blanket to brick, and after con-
siderable difficulty had succeeded in
throwing the brick over the wall and
lodging it under the coping, but upon
attempting to pull himselfup the blank
ct had parted This was attempted
several times with the same result, The
speaker had concluded, therefore, that
il was not so easy to set over the wall
by that means as the .iailors seemed to
imagine; in fact, he believed it an
easier method for prisoner to get out
of the front door while unsuitable men
were employed about tie Jail. The pa
per was finally disposed of by referring
ii to the committee on public property.
BY this time the temperature had be-
come so lrigid that the remaining bust
ness was disposed of around the stove
in British House of Commons style, the
members wearing their hats and over
coats, and Mr.. Kraft, from the lower
board, having entered and Informed
the Aldermen that the Common Coun-
Gil was ready to adjourn, the Aldermen
lost no time in following the example,
and at quarter to nine the proceed
ings were brought to close.
Co1TrO>- CoT-ScTT