The Red Cloud chief., 1895-09-13
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

4 Ossny Vhsc nssu hOtlnO fOOI1eN
There is no interest 30 valued in Red
Cloud as that Of our business men
They are heavy tax PAYERS, 40 OF course
represent the principal commercial in.
forests OF u city. An injury to our
business men means the cutting down OF
both their prestige and business. In re.
viewing these facts it is not necessary to
say that without them Red Cloud would
be .only a blot on a vast prairie. We
must have them and must treat them
white. In fact to cut q long story short
We refer to the ~sprinkling OF our streets.
These merchants bring in fine stocks Of
goods valued at many thousands Of dol.
lars and to have them covered with dust
and filth is not justice to them and lie az
foolish as 1t 10 unnecessary. There
seems to have been enough money to
grade the streets and 40 on, but not
enough for sprinkling streets. Main
street was cut up and graded and left in
q dusty shape, and then an order issued
forbidding the use Of watcr for sprinkl.
Ing streets on the plea that there was
not sufficient funds to buy coal. There
should be enough money to buy coal
found somewhere. The merchants are
entitled to consideration and the coun.
Gil should remember that as representa-
tives Of the people that they are there to
study the interests Of the mer.
chants az we'll as others. Mr.. Eames
has offered to pay the ordinance price
for water $3.50 per block. Q. which
means If construed correctly around
entirely around the block-and not just
a fourth around, but the officers have
construed the ordinance to mean in
front OF business houses. The CHIEF is
aware that the city's finances are very
low, and therefore difficult to secure
enough to make improvements and do
all the things that could be desired,
hence, We believe that in the interest Of
all concerned the other improvements
should be dispensed with for the time
being and the money used in sprinkling
streets II it is possible to do 30. The
business men want relief and it is only
just and right that they have 1t without
quibbling. 1t does not cost over 80
cents per 1000 gallons to put the water
in the stand pipe. Suppose we base our
statements on 5000 gallons per day for
% days, (which hardly ever o%ccurs) at
81 cents per 1000 gallons, which would
make the cost Of water for a months
spfinkling $7.S7. According to the Or
dlnance rate Of $3.50 per block the water
tax as paid by the street sprinkler
would be about $3.50 as per estimate
made by a former water commissioner,
leaving a net balance in favor Of the
city Of $3.50 or moro per month.
1t seems to us from these figures
that there is a discrepancy between this
and the sum that the council in their
meeting stated. They said it would re.
quire $50 per month for coal alone to
keep the sprinkler going, but possibly
there is a leakage somewhere that would
absorb the balance. For this and other
reasons we think the council had better
reconsider their actions IN this matter as
it has been reported on the streets that an
indignation meeting would be held il
the council persisted in refusing to let
the sprinkler have water. We believe
that the council would rather moi have
this happen.
NoTE-Since the above was put in
type the council have permitted Mr..
Eames to use twenty tanks per day.
The council could not have done a more
worthy act. The merchants are always
to consideration in all public
matters where their business is hazard.
ed.
The death Of Mrs. Helenpa Wyke,
wife OF Leopold Wyke, one Of the oldest
settlers in this section, occurred very
suddenly and under peculiar circum.
stances last Saturday. The particulars
as near as we could learn are az follows:
She went out into the garden about IL
o'clock to get some vegetables for dinner
apparently as we'll as usual, but as she
did not return n OF the family won't
out to see what was the cause Of her
delay. She was found lying across a
broken down fence, life having been al
ready extinct. The county coroner was
notified who came over from Red Cloud
Sunday. An inquest was held and the
jury gave a verdict that death was
caused from heart disease. Mrs. Hell.
lena Wyke was 81 years OF age She
leaves a husband and several children