Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-01-05
MAYORS MESSAGE.
Record of Progress of the City During
the Past Three Years.
AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT
S17,o in Public Improvements since
Incorporated as a City.-valu-
able statistics.

II Incorporated IA City.-vAlu.
able stati.tica.
To the Honorable, the Board of Aldermen Of
the City Of Hot Springs, South Dakota:
4 GENTLEMEN: Il have the honor here.
with I" present tO yOu statements of
tile variOu admin >trltiOM departments
of our city government. Less than
three and Omr-lIalf years have elapsed
since the village of Hot Springs was in.
corp,ratetl nv u city, aud comment oll
thrgrOwt" in population aud wealtl,
within our limits will, am sure, not
be out Of place at this time.
THE number of ballots cast at thu
first municipal election which was held
o" August 2. 1891. was l2U; the number
0i b 'llOts cast on April ~. 1893. was
G73. Figuring then the population as
being ) t.. .. which is conceded to be
tue fair multiple 'O employ in figuring
the population, we lind that in August,
iS!M Hot Springs contained about $50
ini,ab. .tamts, and i'll April. 1893. there
w.Ie tot les tham :i.35M inhabitants
within our city limits. showing an in-
crease of over 53 per cent.
| In September, 1890. the city could
boast less than I.tNM feet of sidewalks
of all classes and descr ption. while to-
dut nffs ti, l,,,,., .,f q, IL, ,,,.,r.
three years. We III point viii, pride to
this feature "f internal improvement
showing 29.270 fe. t. or over live aud
One-llalf miles Of ti,st class sidewalk,
bull. ut an aver age Gust of 30 cents per
foot, representing Ss,7sl thrs expanded
in an Improvement which adds SO much
to the co"f,rt OF the y. ople and the
app aramce in general of our city.
Very noticeable, not only TO our resi-
dents, but to all comers within our c III
lines. is the vast change that has been
wrought in the appearance of our
streets. Not until two years ago WAS
much effort made in the direction of
street grading. bu this feature in our
permai,-mt improvements Is emplla.
sized by the following figures: l0.2U7
lineal f.et of gradln. or about three
and two-tl,iris mil. 8. much "f it being
through rugged hills and loch, itquir-
ing much labor assisted by the use of
giant powder, but the result lin spl. H.
did streets Of which any city might
justly be proud--amply justities tile
cost. not to mention the CRAFTY ell
HANGED Value Of the property improved
b. this work. The total cost of this
improvement was about $27,'AN.
The city als, built aud maintains ten
bridges whose .Ot.l 6. st of construction
was about $3.50. One "f these is Il
tine stone arch bridge and one an iron
truss bridge. both being COOL perlna,
nemt improvements, and it is to be
hoped that in the interest of econn,ny
all bridges to be erected h, real ter, eiti.
new or to replace the old may be built
of stone or iron. Not only would this
be ec.lln,ny hut would add much to the
| appearance of our city.
Concerning sewerage not much can
he said but much should be done at
once in this dirt ion. at present the
city owns 2.G.W feet of sewerage, COLI
! strncted at Il c0st of about $3.50, but
in view Of tile fact that at present a
complete system of water works is
being constructed in our city. it has
become tile imprr rrative duty Of the city
authorities to give the matter of sewer
age earnest attention, and 1T is to be de
sired that means can ue devised sUoh
that this much needed Improvement
Can Oe made.
The city also owns fire apparatus
consisting 0f two hose carts, one hook
and ladder truck, :,0UU feet of huse and
other mec ss Try appliances representing
Il cost Of $2.,OO. In connection with
this subject it will not be uut of place
to remark that with the completion Of
tlle water works system which will
furnish a sufficient supply Of water at
an adequate pressure To flood our high
est buildings. our city will llave.as gOod
protec ion against tire as any city in
! the We st.
Lust but not least in the way Of per
manent and necessary improvements
can he mentioned our fine city hall
building of whicl, tile city may justly
feel proud. l'rovming ample room fur
the accommodation of the officials for
many years to come. Erected at u cost
| of about $4,000. but which in any city
east Of the Missouri river would have
cost not less than $4,000
We can then summarize as permanent