The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-09-28
FINDING A WAY OUT
The WaterwOrks Muddle to be
Cleared Up.
COURTS THE RESCUE
Receiver Hahn's appointment Is
Upheld and the BOndsmen Have
Decided to Complete the
Contract.

The pain and complete statement OF
affairs in connection with the water
works trouble that appeared in yester-
DAVIS Astorian had the effect of giving
the public full and complete knowledge
of the real state of affairs for the first
time, and was welcomed on all sides as
explaining the situation fully. Among
the people whose eyes were opened by
the disclosures therein made were great
many OF the laborers who have been
thrown out Of employment by the stop
page Of the work. They came down town
very early in the morning and crowded
the Offices of various attorneys to find
out what 1t all meant. John Hahn, as
the newly appointed receiver, also came
In for good share of attention and
many of them seemed to find consolation
in standing in front OF his store all day
and watching all his movements. Al
noon the proprietor of the boarding house
at the top of the hill, which has been
kept. open for the past few days, dis
penslng hard tack to a few Of the lucky
ones, announced her intention of closing
up. and dt 2 O'Clock all the doors and
windows of the place were securely bat
tened About a hundred OF the men
looked on at this performance with stolid
Indifference, though they knew that II
meant the taking away Of their last
chance Of getting any more food. A repre-
sentative of the Astorian visited the
camp in the afternoon and found that
the reports which have been brought to
the city, concerning the starving con-
dition of several laborerS there, are well
founded. There are fully thirty men who
have not tasted food for three days, and
many more have gone hungry for forty
eight hours. Their situation is every
hour getting more deplorable, and the
impression seems to be that the
recently appointed labor committee" OF
the city council should at once turn itself
into a relief committee to supply these
starving people with food. After the
boarding house was closed down a
great many of the men stood around on
the street corners all over town and
discussed the situation in an orderly
One crowd of this kind was
stationed in front of the Astorian office.
II numbered fifty or sixty men. Mayor
coming along down Commercial
street, found himself in the middle OF
this impromptu meeting, and taking his
station at a telegraph pole, proceeded to
express his views about things in general
and about foreign laborers in particular.
He told them that If they didn't like the
the best thing for them to do
was to get out of 1t, and advanced sew
eral other vigorous opinions of a like
character which were not calculated to
afford the men much consolation. They
took 1t all very patiently, even when the
mayor went a step farther and told them
that he had given orders to the police
TO throw them of the streets II they
about in groups any longer,
and that he was about full of such
work"
Judge Mcbride seemed to take a slight
y different view of the acts of these
aborers In speaking of their conGuct
he said that he had never
seen set of men under like circum-
stances who have behaved themselves
with such moderation and who have by
-heir quiet and many acceptance of the
situation so deserved the sympathy of
every citizen.
When the court opened yesterday morn
ing Mr.. LaForce was on hand with a
suggestion to the court for an order
Receiver Hahn to proceed with
the contract for the completion of the
water works construction. This motion
or suggestion was vigorously contested
by Fulton Bros, who appeared In court
and announced their intention Of ask
Ing for the discharge of the receiver,
by a vacation Of the order of appoint
ment. The discussion that ensued was
generally participated in by all the attor-
neys present. After considerable talk as
to the regularity of the receivers ap-
rclntment and the question of the avail
ability of the assets of tine insolvent
company, the court finally terminated the
hearing by postponlng II till some hour
In the afternoon, informing Mr.. LaForce
that he might then max A-his showings to
support his application to have the work
continued by a receiver Before this af-
ternoon session, however, Fulton Bros.
filed a general aiIldavlt on behalf of the
bondsmen explaining their relation to
the Pacific Paving Co., and their liability
to the city under their bond for the COM
p.etion OF the contract. This affidavit
also set forth in full their assignment
from the Pacific Paving Co. of all the
assets, material and property of every
description In this city, including the
balance of money In the hands of the
commission, after allowing the various
previous assignments. In addition to
lAA't NAAbh DAOos lhtu a. 0tNOAN
iavlt from Engineer Adams, of the water
showing the impractlcabillty
IF completing the contract at the price
'or which 1t was undertaken by the in
solvent company. The attorneys for the
Claimants were Immediately notified OF
he filing Of these affidavits, and O'clock
vas the time set by the court to hear
hem, At that hour Fulton Bros opened
,ha caqa for tho hondSuan with a raritaI
# the woful condition OF the laborers
Who were left stranded without their
wages, and argued that, In the interests
# the city ana the water commission,
md for the sake of furnishing immediate
to the men, the $3.50 in the
lands of the commission not subject to
should be turned over to the
,ondsmen. II this was done, counsel
tated that they would make an obllga-
ion to return 1t for the satisfaction OF
alims II needed, with whatever profits
hat might ensue from the completion OF
he contract; the bondsmen to be APP
'ointed receivers and instructed to COM
'lete the contract.
This motion was opposed by the attor-
leys FOR the labor claimants who did
lot seem to agree with the counsel for
ne DoHuSHlen MneTe the Ftspoioluiilty
or the pitl1ul condition OF the laborers
ested. They insisted that to turn over
he wages OF these men, then in the
lands Of the commission to the volunteer
luretles OF the insolvent corporation to
,e used by them In the reduction Of their
liability to the city so incurred, would
,e both unjust and inequitable. especially
n the light OF Engineer Adams affidavit
On the suggestion Of the court that the
pest interests of all concerned would be
by some form OF compromise
the conflicting views of counsel
IN both sides. recess was taken to en-
lb.e them to hold conference. Shorty
.fter this, both sides came into court and
announced that an agreement had been
lrrived at. under which the present re-
'eiver should be continued. and put In
possession OF al property claimed by
he conlpany's bondsmen; the court TO
.ppoint an appraiser to value all the
property and material belonging to the
Pacific Paving Co.; and the receiver to
lellver 20 the bondsmen such portion OF
he material as might be desired by