The record-union., 1897-03-30
EXPERTS REPORT ON PUMP.
The New One Meets All Requirements Of
Contract.
Trustees Accept 1t and Make the
Final Payment on 1t -
rlayor's r1esSageS.

The City Board of Trustees met in
regular weekly session last night, Trus-
tees Leonard, Wachhorst, Kent, Davis,
Mckay, Tozer Bentley, Devine and
Pennish being present.
L. T. Hatfield addressed the board in
relation to the request of Thomas
Hague that it would rescind its action
In regard to the extension of street,
outside the levee, granting certain priv
tlegeS to the Natural Gas Well Com
pany. The city he contended, as mat
terS stand at present, has no title to
the property and Mr. Hague has ex
pended much time and money upon it.
Mr.. Keyes, the Secretary of the COM
pany, asked what the charges against
It were.
Mr.. Hatfield said the company had
signed a contract for the purchase of
the land and when Mr.. Hague had in
formed it concerning the title to the
land, the first thing he knew was the
application made by the board for
opening street. 1t was an under
handed attempt to get possession of
the land without paying Mr.. Hague for
1t.
Mr.. Keyes read the contract and
claimed that the company did not owe
Mr.. Hague dollar and had carried out
all its agreements with him. He pro-
duced check for 81 ,420 paid to Mr..
Hague for the land, besides the S100
FIRST paid. The contract also provided
chat the company should at a certain
stage transfer to Mr.. Hague S150 worth
of stockif gas was found.
AT the last meeting of the Board of
Directors he was instructed to ask Mr..
Hague for an abstract of title. He
did so and the latter said he could not
give an abstract but would give a quit
Claim deed, the same as the Gas Com
'pany has for its land and also that the
city has to its recent purchase for the
pumping plant. The company's at
torney informed him that Mr.. Hague
has no title to the land and that the
city owns it and the sewer runs under
the twenty feet in controversy. If Mr..
Hague will give a clear deed the COM
pany stands ready to pay the price.
Mr. Hatfield said that the contract
was that the price of the land was
to be $1,000, of which 81, 800 was to be
paid and the matter was explained in
his office and in the presence of himself
and others to the representatives Of the
company. Mr.. Hague consented to take
$3.50 in stock as part payment The
letter concerning the abstract, he said,
was a trap set to catch Mr.. Hague and
instead of answering the latters let
ter. the company came to the board
without notice to him, to try and beat
him out of the property.
Bentley said the only point for the
board to consider was whether the city
owns the property He moved that
Ia ar ha
alton Counsel, to be reported on.
Devine moved to amend that mean
while the company should do nothing
with the property till the opinion Of
counsel be given.
Davis said Mr.. Hague did not object
to the work being proceeded with and
AIR. Hague made the same statement.
Pennish said Devine had not consid-
cred fully what he was stating and
Devine vehemently interrupted him
and insisted on talking, refusing to
stop, although Leonard wore out his
gavel in a vain effort to keep order.
Kent supported Devine's amendment
and Mr. Keyes said that all the COM
pany wished was to use the disputed
strip to store its tools on for six months
and the contractor explained that the
tools were very long and the company
needed room for them They simply
demanded the use OF the street, as cit
izens, Mr.. Hague having put up a
barbed wire fence. What the COM
pany wants is to have Mr. Hague turn
over the property as agreed and it pro-
poses to have it.
Mr.. Hague denied some of the state
ments made by the contractor and
said all he wanted was the money
agreed on.
Tozer moved that the board rescind
its action and put the matter just
where 1t was at first
Bentley did not think it we'll for the
board to practically acknowledge Mr..
Hague's title and insisted on his mo-
tion-
Tozer's motion was lost and Devine
withdrew his amendment and Bentley's
motion was adopted.
MAYORS MESSAGES.
The following messages from the