The herald., 1897-07-08
FIRE COMMISSIONERS
Two Firemen Fined-Oil Well Permit
Granted

Two Firemen Fined-Oil Well Permit
Granted
At the meeting of the fire commission
ers yesterday morning all the members
of the board were in attendance, as well
as Chief Moore.
In the matter of the petition of f. w
Nettleton for a permit to bore for oil
on a certain block in the Cottage Grove.
tract, the chief reported that Mr.. Net
Teton had majority of the frontage
on the block in question.
Major w R. Burke and Walter Deve-
reaux protested against the granting of
the petition, claiming that twenty one
residents were on the protest, and that
they objected to oil wells on the ground
that it would ruin their property for
residence purposes. and as they had
purchased it for homes they wanted to
hold it.
Mr. Nettleton raised the point that
the protestants were not residents of
the block on which the proposed well
was to be sunk but We're scattered
throughout the tract. He had the con-
sent of three-fourths of the property
owners on the block, and this was ali
that was required
Major Burke said that he did not wish
to stand in the way of any develop
ment and if it turned out that the
property was more valuable for oil than
for residence purposes, then he thought
that wells should be sunk But in this
case the well was an experiment to see
! if oil existed in the locality, and this
being the case, he Thought that
the test we'll should be sunk al the
furthest point from the improved prop
erty in the block
A map was submitted, showing the
boundaries of the block, after which the
petition was granted
Action on the petition of Boyd Bros,
to erect a soap factory at 2719 East
Fourth street, was Indefinitely post
poned.
The chief reported that he had sus-
pended Driver Sepulveda of engine No.
l and Driver Moriarty of the hose cart
of the same company. Sepulveda was
charged with neglect of duty, in leaving
the. engine house when he should have
been on duty, and Moriarty was charged
with drunkenness.
Sepulveda was first called in, and
stated that when he came over from the
East Side to. collect his wages he cele-
brated the event by taking a couple of
drinks. Not being q drinking man as
regular thing, this made him sick.
and he got a friend to take him to his
home. AS Sepulveda is one of the oldest
men in the department and has never
been before the commissioners before,
he was let off with S. fine and a repri-
mand.
Moriarty was next called in. He stat
ed that he had been suffering with Sc
we're cold for several weeks, and on Sat
urday took several drinks. He repeated
the performance Sunday morning and
took too much. Mr.. Moriarty had his
voice with him. which amply corrobo-
rated his statement as to the cold. He
did not consider that he was so much
under the. influence of liquor as to be
incapacitated for duty.
But We're you drunk" asked Mr.
Kuhrts, too drunk to do fire service?'
II don't think I was" replied Mori-
arty, with much feeling, '-but I leave
that for the commissioners and chief
to say"
Surely you know whether you were
drunk or not" continued Mr.. Kuhrts
You know whether you could stand up
or whether you had to lie down, don't
you? If I should get drunk think that
l would be better judge than anyone
else"
The other commissioners were trying
hard to keep straight faces. while Mo-
riarty was playing with his thumbs, but
being unable to get anything more out
Of him. he was finally excused.
Chief Moore was then questioned and
stated that Moriarty was a good fire.
man, but that he sometimes drank. and
about three years ago had been before
the board on the same charge.
On motion of Commissioner Kuhrts
Moriarty was fined 500, and the chief
was instructed to notify both men that
if they came before the board again on
similar charges the fines would be at
least doubled if they were not dismissed
from the department.
Chief Moore reported that on investi-
cation he had found that in other cities
where the department was under civil
service regulations it was provided for
either in the charter or by special leg
slation. and he was instructed to con-
fer with the city attorney as to what
steps are necessary to put the Los An
geles department under these regula-
| tions.
The chief asked for further ir.atruc-
tions before making up the estimate of
the expenses of the department for the
coming year. He said that the members
OF the finance committee and the other
members of the council had expressed
themselves as favoring the utmost lib