El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-08-20
THE CITY COUNCIL.
City Scavenger Chairman Asks for Re-
lief.-The Horse Frank PensiOned.

ief.-The Horse Frank PenSiOned.
| The council met last night with only
Alderman Brunner absent; and as soon
as the clerk had brushed away the
cObwebs from the minutes of the pre-
vious meeting, the perspiration from
his heated brow aud the persistent flies
| from his Immediate facial environment,
the council, was ready for business
Relative to the petition for sewer con-
veniences near the old custom house,
Mr.. WhitmOre for the streets and
grades committee recommended that
tue sewer be extended back of the old
custom house and also back of the Mex
lean school house. To carry this out,
car load of six inca pipe was needed,
and he recommended its immediate
purchase. Adopted.
Judge Coldwen for the ordinance
committee reported an ordinance
drawn up by City Attorney Kemp pro-
viding for the listing Ut lands on which
delinquent taxes are due for and for
the collection of such taxes. The in
strument was as long as Kent's COM
mentaries, and by no means as interest
ing as Browns humOrs of the law"
1 n fact the clerk lost his breath, his
patience and pretty nearly his temper
long before the reading was through
The handwriting would have made
Horace Greeley stare, and it was filed
ID hel e, aud Tiled in there, filled out
here and filed out there, criss-crossed,
rased, erased, changed, scratched,
patched, inserted, addendumized, ap-
pendisized, etc., ETC., until the clerk
was threatened with an attack of ap-
psndicIiis. Then he just quit, and
wanted six weeks lay off TO recuper-
ate. Judge Coldwell tried his hand at
it, until he too struck a Mississippi
snag and was as drowning man who
threw up both hands and disappeared
beneath the boiling waters. He cast
his telescope vision around the room
IN dispair to see if Captain Beall was
not within gunshot, but that astute de-
putty official must have smelt fire or
suthin', for he was not visible even to
the approximate vision. The proposed
ordidance made it the duty of the
council to ''cause to be prepared by the
city tax CO lector at the expense of the
city, list of all lands, lots, blocks.
parcels of lands, etc, sod to the city
for taxes, also the owner at the time of
sale, amount Of taxes due, since j an
uary l, 1885, and which have not been
redeemed, showing when said lands
were reported delinquent or sold to the
city for taxes, also the owner at the time
of sale, amount of taxes due, when first
sold" the same to be known as the de-
linquent tax record, to be indexed,
etc.
The rea1ing of that proposed ordin-
ance seemed to bewilder the council
like 13-14-15 puzzle, and Judge
Coldwen remarked that the council
was making too much law. If they
enforced what law they had, it would
be better. The ordinance was referred
to the ordinance committee for eluci-
dation.
The council was then bombar ded
with another vOluminOus document, q
proposed ordinance amending certain
sections of the existing ordinance ra-
lating to duties of the scavenger, or
pOundmaster, and fixing fees for taking
up stock. The following section is OF
special interest:
Sec. 15. That the said officer shall
be entitled to the following fees: For
each and every head of horse, cattle
and hog, the sum of one dollar, for
each and every heal of goats, sheep,
the sum of twenty five cents, and eacn
burrO the sum of fifty cents per head.
For posting sotice of sale the sum of
enc dollar for each and every head of
cattle, horses or hogs. For posting
notice of sale the sum of twenty five
centS for each and every head of goats.
sheep or burros. For taking care of
and feeding said animals there sh ali
he allowed the sum of twenty-five cents
per day for eacn and every head of
cattle, horses, sheep. hogs, goats and
burros the sum of % cents per head for
each and every day SO held by said
officer. For making bill of sale to
purchaser the SUN Of so cents to each
purchaser
Mr.. Clifford held that the fees were
to- high, aud that it was hardly within
the domain of politico-economic ethics
for the city scaven2er to fix up his own
fees and then calmly ask the council to
append is little o. K to the same.
This brought Harry Chairman to his