The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-21
FT.W AYNE'SP ROGRESS
HER MAYOR AND WORKS BOARD
COME HERE FOR INFORMATION.
Street improvements on the Indian
apoIis Plan - Garbage Contractor
Explains Some of the Complaints.

Mayor C. b. Oakley and Thomas D. De
Vilbiss, Levi Griffith and Willis Hatters-
ley, constituting the Board of Public Works
of Fort Wayne, arrived in this city yes
terday, and will spend to-day and N part of
tomorrow in gathering nformation, espe-
cially upon the kind OF street-car rail used
by the company in this city, and generally
in picking up any points of interest in
the management of municipal affairs. The
city of Fort Wayne has recently granted
the street-car company at that place a fran
chise to equip it's lines with electricity,
and the grant included a clause providing
that the rails used shall meet the approval
of the Board of Public Works. In order
to ascertain what sort Of rails it should ap-
prove, the board decided to inspect those
in use here and inquire as to the extent
to which they are proving satisfactory.
To-day the gentlemen will make trips over
several Of the street-car lines, and will
probably go out on the Fairview or fair
grounds line to a point where the rails are
exposed, so that they can examine the
effect of wear upon them.
The board is the first Of the kind the
city has had, and has been in existence
only since the election in May. Mr.. De
Vilbiss, president, and Mr.. Griffith are the
Republican members, and Mr.. Hattersley
the Democratic member of the board. Since
their appointment they nave entered upon
a system of public Improvements which is
carried out in the same manner as that
in this city. All improvements are made
upon resolutions passed by the board, in
the same manner as in this city. The city
is at the present time engaged in laying
a mile Of asphalt street upon Washington
boulevard. The specifications require Trim
dad asphalt. 1t is laid upon a five-inch
concrete base; this base is then covered
with a binder" composed OF an inch and
q half of broken stone cemented with as
phalt; this is then covered with a two
inch asphalt surface, making a total depth
OF elg9t inches Tor the pavement. Mem M-
and asphalt streets in about equal pro-
portion. Mr.. Hattersley, however, ex-
pressed a decided preference for the asphalt
t~horoughfare. The city already has a good
system of sewers, but will need some addi-
lions within the near future, which will be
introduced into the Council to annex South
Wayne to the city. This is an incorpor-
ated village with a population Of about
south. If it is annexed it Will probably
neceSSitate the building OF another $4,000
sewer, which will come under this board.
On Tuesday, just prior to their departure
for this city, the board accepted three new
engine houses, which will be equipped and
The duties of the board are. as Yet, new
to the members, but Mayor Oakley thought
they had them very we'll in hand at this
day and Friday of each week, but the MEM
bers say they work all the time. The Fort
Wayne board receives bids for street I'M
provement in three distinct bIds-one for
grading, one for curbing and one for laying
the pavement where the street is paved
with brick or asphalt. The contractors bid
at a given price a square yard. Within a
short time, however, the specifications Will
require the bids to be made by the lineal
estimate the cost of any Improvement.
Mayor Oakley talked freely Of Fort
Wayne politics last night. The last Re
publican Mayor of the city was elected in
1857, and within a few months after taking
Office he proved recreant and turned Dem
ocrat. If the city was ever Republican 1t
has been so long ago that the oldest in
habitant" has no recollection OF the time.
He said the Republicans were i~ntrenching
themselves in popular favor by carving
ton was won. Like all. Democratic cities,
Fort Wayne was a "wide-open" place. The
Republicans went to the people on the issue
won upon ii. This policy is being followed,
and, while the enforcement of the Sunday
by the saloon keepers organization, 1t has
not, as yet, made any systematic and Or
ganized attempt TO evade or violate the
law. The saloons are closed at the times
the law requires, and Mayor Oakley says
city.
MI Lev ~ 1oA4CA vi NHC O0A VI
Works, is a member of the Republican
county central committee and is sanguine
of success for the party this fall. He said
last night he believed the Republicans
would elect the most of their ticket. Al
though there is a plurality of 500 TO over
come, he thinks the odium which attaches
TO the courthouse ring will be strong
enough TO accomplish this. The manage
ment of county affairs in Allen county has
always been in the hands of a Democratic
ring, and so emboldened lave the ringsters
become that they have not needed the mutt
terings of the people. Mr.. DeVilbiss thinks
the ring has made the old mistake of de-
pending too much on imaginary power.
There is a very strong sentiment against
the past management of county affairs. He
also expressed the opinion that local dis
satisfaction in the Democratic party would
initiate against the Democratic State tick
ct and very materially reduce the plurali-
ties given in Allen county. The dissatisfac-
ton is greatest among the Germans, and
it has been heightened by the recent open
letter of Henry Berghof, a prominent Ger
man, and once a candidate for a nominal
ton upon the State ticket. In his letter Mr..
Berghoff denounceS the present adminiStra-
ton and says, from a business point OF
view, the control of national affairs should
be turned back to the Republican party.
Mr.. Berghoff is an influential German and
the letter has had a perceptible influence
upon his
The race for Congress is also occupying
considerable attention in Allen county. The
county has three candidates who desire to
| defeat McNagny this fall. They are Prof.
| Dietrich, DR.. G. Il. Stemen and John w.
| Hayden. All of them are making an ag-
gressive canvass and the race promises
to be a holly contested one.