davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-12-07
WATER SUPPLY COMMITTEE
An Interesting Document With Val
liable Recommendations

The report Of the water supply COM
mittee next took up the attention of the
council, which listened very carefully
to the recommendations it contained,
and these were adopted without dissent.
The report says:
Your water supply committee, to
whom was referred the petition asking
that immediate steps be taken to build
an entirely new and Independent water
system for the entire city, beg leave to
report as follows:
In considering the radical request con-
tanned in this petition it became a mat
ter of grave concern with your commit
tee. having in mind the complications
which might ensue, whether the de-
mand for the immediate construction of
an entirely new system Of water works
was actually the real or fancied desire
of the petitioners, many. Of whom had,
since signing the petition, stated to
members Of the committee that their
signature was merely to indicate their
desire for speedy municipal ownership
and not to invite legal complications
by precipitate movement towards new
work at the present time.
AS an expression of the people in favor
Of municipal ownership, this petition,
containing about 1881 signatures. rep
resenting people in all the varied walks
of life, becomes matter for serious con-
sideration. But your committee is cogni-
zant Of the firm and united stand taken
nicipal ownership from the date Of the
The herald., 1897-12-07
former ordinance. for more than twenty

former ordinance, for more than twenty
minutes.
c. c. Wright, the attorney for the
Merchants and Manufacturers asso-
citation, offered the following amend
ment:
Sec. 8. The chief and assistant chief of
the fire department while in the dis
charge of their duties as such, and all
persons when in the act of receiving or
delivering merchandise or transacting
business at the place of hitching shall
be exempted from the provisions of this
ordinance, provided that no person
when in the act Of receiving or delivering
merchandise, or transacting business
at the place of hitching shall allow any
animal or vehicle to remain so hitched
or stand while he may be thus engaged
for longer time than fifteen minutes.
This amendment did not seem to meet
with great favor from the councilmen
and was not acted upon. The ordinance,
as drafted by the board of public works
was rejected by the council on a vote
Of ayes against s noes.
1t having been stated that the chief of
police had said that the former hitching
ordinance, in which a stated time was
allowed persons to keep their rigs
hitched in front of business houses in
the district therein described, could not
be enforced practically by the officers,
Mr.. Hutchison took occasion to object,
in a rather acrimonious speech. to the
injection before the council of the chief
Of police as an authority in a number
of matters pertaining to ordinances that
did not meet with his approval.
On motion of President Silver, who
had voted mo" on the adoption of the
proposed ordinance, the vote was re-
considered with the result that the
ordinance was referred to the board Of
public works.
Mr.. Grider next introduced the draft
of an ordinance repeating the hitching
ordinance approved November 4th. On
motion it was filed.
When the council adjourned it was
till Wednesday at 10 o'clock, when the
hitching ordinance will be the principal
subject to be discussed.
The herald., 1897-12-07
WATER TALK
Recommendations Made to
the Council
HITcHINe ORDINANCE AGAIN
NOTHING rs ACHIEVED AFTER
MANY WORDS
Mayor Snyder on Callman Shearer.
Ycar1v Report Of the Street
superintendent

The morning session Of the city coun-
Gil was the briefest on record during the
year now nearly completed. All the
members were present. Reports from
committees and city officials and the
monthly demands and acquisitions were
approved. Then a few more protests
against the repaving Of Spring street
were read and added to those that have
heretofore been received. When an ad-
journment was taken at II o'clock the
councilmen retired into the privacy Of
their committee room to wrestle with
that many-headed hydra, the hitching
ordinance.
Int the afternoon 1t bobbed up serenely
with the city attorneys report. who
submitted draft of new ordinance to
amend that of November 4th, so cordial
ly disliked by those who are most in
terested in it. An amendment offered
by, the Merchants and Manufacturers
association died stillborn and the new
ordinance itself was defeated by vote
Of 5 to, 4. The vote, however, was re-
considered later, and the ordinance re-
AcIItu pdch " Tic DOdTu VI puDllc WUTNS,
which will on Wednesday, when coun-
Gil meets again, have another try at
bringing forth draft that will meet
with the approval of everybody, If such
thing be possible.
An extensive report from the water
supply committee, deeming 1t unwise
and inexpedlent to take immediate steps
for the construction OF new water
system, but advocating negotiations
with the water company for the purpose
OF, agreeing upon the value of it's i'm
provements and paying for them at the
expiration CT the corporations contract,
was adopted.
The annual reports of the superintend-
ent Of buildings and of the plumbing
inspector were received.
A revised set of specifications for
street work was presented by the city
engineer and adopted. An ordinance
for the change of name of certain
streets and proposed ordinance for
the change of name Of many others were
referred to the board of public works.
Just before afternoon adjournment the
member from the Eighth ward made a
motion that the chief Of police be in
structed to countermand the orders by
which police officers are required to
work more than eight hours daily. in
violation of the state law. The motion
was referred to the police commission
ere.
The herald., 1897-12-07
MAYORS MESSAGE
His Honor Speaks About Mr.. Shearer's
Cumulative Propensities

When the council convened in the af-
ternoon, Clerk Haskins read message
from the mayor in which his honor re-
turned to the council without his ap-
proval the demand of w. Shearer for
$25 on the fire department fund, it hav-
ing come to his knowledge that the de-
mand of w. d. Shearer for $50 and w.
Shearer for $25, approved by council on
November goth, 1897, were for one and
the same person. His honor found that
two separate demands of Mr.. Shearer
had been approved monthly since Aug
ust 1st, 1897. He thought that it would
be establishing a bad precedent to per-
NIT any one person to hold two posi-
tions under the city government at one
time as it is evident that one or the other
of the positions must of necessity suf-
fer under such emulation.
The mayors message was referred to
the finance committee, with directions
for a thorough investigation.
The herald., 1897-12-07
HUTCHISoNIA
The Member From the Eighth Ward
on Working Hours

Mr.. Hutchison moved that each de-
partment of the city government be
directed to put at the top Of each letter.
head ordered for said department a line
stating that the population of this city,
according to the city census of 1897, is
10S, 1856; that each newspaper published
in this city be requested to keep a SINH
lar statement standing at the top of
the first page thereof, and that the
chamber of commerce, the Merchants
and Manufacturers association and all
real estate firms and others doing ex-
tensive advertising be requested to in
sert the same notice in all general ad-
vertising. Not acted upon.
The member from the Eighth ward
also moved that the chief of police be
directed to countermand his order of
November 1st requiring all police Off
GERS to work 1O1s hours per day, in vio-
lation Of the state law as stated by the
city attorney, and that no officer be as
signed to regular duty for more than
eight hours per day. Referred to the
police commission.
The herald., 1897-12-07
HE WAS INDISCREET
That's Why John Simpson Was Cut
With Razor

John Simpson is q negro, and has a
negro's fondness for a razor. Yester-
day he was exhibiting with great pride
a new one which he had just purchased
to some "culled gentlemen" in Will Tay-
lor's poker joint on Los Angeles street.
Someone grabber the razor and he at
tempted to hold on, but the blade was
drawn through his hand with disastrous
results to the palm.
When having his hand dressed in the
receiving hospital later Simpson said,
Mind you, gentlemen, dar warn't no
tempt to scrap about dis affair, but all
dat waz done waz done in the most per-
fectest friendship. I wuz jes' exhibtin'
my new razor and one Of de gentlemen
wanted to sect and wuz somewhat in
discreet to hold on; that's all.''
The other negroes in the joint at the
time when Simpson was cut deny that
there was any row.
The herald., 1897-12-07
Totals . 2ol5ls2, 4sl, ,eS5ls22OS 65 1899 42s o41ss
The following table shows the build
ing operations by wards for 1886 and

show:
/. A gradual improvement as to SUBJ
stantial buildings, and a need of clas-
styling the same as to their safety and
worth.
2. An absolute need of systematic in
spection of old buildings, class Of in
spection that seems to be just develop
ing.
3. That fire district No. be protected
by fire district No. all round. or where
No. 4 touches No. 1, No. / should in
clude both sides of that street; also the
boundary line west between Bellevue
avenue and Temple street should be near
the center of block between New High
and Buena Vista streets; as 1t now, $50
feet west Of New High street, it comes
at places as near as nineteen feet Of
Buena Vista street, rendering property
fronting on Buena Vista street worth
less to owners.
4. That Los Angeles is fast becoming
residence city second to none in the
world.
5. That an over-production of build
ing materials and too great desire to
do business on the part of the furnish
ers has caused materials to sell at prices
ranging lower In the past year than any
year in the history Of the city. This
state of affairs may be questioned as
not to the best interests Of any line Of
business.
Following Is the annual report Of
City Plumbing Inspector "A. A. Bennett
for the year ending December /. 1897.
The following table gives the comrari-
The herald., 1897-12-07

street, in the Norton tract, should be
changed; would suggest Walker street.
That portion Of San Fernando street
which was formerly Olympia street,
should be changed to Downey avenue,
as there are now two branches of San
Fernando.
Juanita street In Maltman's first addi-
tion should be changed to Juanita ave-
nue..
Rocksbury street in Kurts & Brad
shaw's sub should be changed to Rox-
bury avenue.
Basil street should be changed to
The herald., 1897-12-07
TO WIDEN STREETS
Under Suspension Of the Rules Or
dinances to That Effect Adopted

The following ordinances were pre-
sented by the city attorney and adopted
under suspension of the rules: Widening
of Washington street between the west
patent boundary line and Arlington
street; widening of Sixteenth street
from west patent boundary to west line
of Bush; opening and widening Of STAN
ley avenue from intersection of San
Pedro and Jefferson streets to the south
city boundary, and the appointment Of
commissioners therefor; ordinance pro-
hibiting the placing or leaving of dirt,
etc, upon public sidewalks, streets and
alleys; ordinance of intention for the
opening and extension of Queirola street
from Chavez to Alhambra avenue.
The herald., 1897-12-07
Maud street. Referred to board of pub

Maud street. Referred to board Of pub
lie works.
The cost of grading, ETC., Washington
street from Central avenue to Compton
avenue was estimated by the city engi-
neer as follows: Grade and gravel, 80
cents per front foot; cement curb, 30
cents per front foot; cement walk (5
feet wide), 30 cents per front foot; total,
$1.60 per front foot. AS this amount
meets the requirements of the bond act,
the necessary ordinance of intention to
do the work presented was adopted
An ordinance of intention to improve
Adams street between Hoover street
and Congress avenue by grading the
same with the natural soil was adopted.
The herald., 1897-12-07

organization of the present council, and
10 assured that memorial from an
equally interested people. while always
In order and entitled to cheerful consid.
sration, Is not requisite in order that
every advance may be made toward the
earliest accomplishment of the ardent
ldesires Of this community. In order
TO secure an interchange Of the widely
divergent ideas upon the subject Of i'm
mediate construction OF water system
and to harmonixe II possible the impet-
uosity Of many Of our people with the
apparently insurmountable legal bar
r]trs which seem to hedge u II at the
present times your COMMITTEES held y
The herald., 1897-12-07
1t Comes Up Again, But Nothing Is
Yet Accomp1ished

With the report of the board of public
works up came the hitching odinance
e.gain. The ball was started rolling
when the board recommended that an
accompanying draft of ordinance pre-
sented by the city attorney, amending
section one of ordinance No. 1854 (new
series) commonly kaown as and called
the "hitching ordinance" be placed
upon it's passage.
The new ordinance makes it unlawful
to hitch any animal or leave any vehi-
Gle in the streets, as described in the
The herald., 1897-12-07
BUILDING AND PLUMBING
Figures That Show the Growth Of the
CITY in One Year

The superintendent of buildings and
the plumbing inspector submitted their
yearly reports in. which the figures are
as eloquent as words are in others. The
first named says:
AS provided by section So of the city
charter. have the pleasure of placing
in your hands the report of this depart
ment.
The following table will show the
building record of this city since the es-
tablishment Of this department in July,
1889.
July, 1889, to Dec. l, 1889, 1914 permits
The herald., 1897-12-07
Not in Danger Of Oblivion

"He devoted his immense fortune to
the perpetuation of his memory"
"You don't say so?"
eyes, he left 1t in such shape that
every dollar of it will be litigated over"
Detroit Journal.
The herald., 1897-12-07
;, 1889, to Dec. 1, 1889, 1914 permits

The above table shows still falling
Off as represented in cash, largely caused
by lower prices of materials. labor and
close competition.
The following table gives the number
and cost Of each class of buildings for
this year:
1881 new dwellings, flats and ten
ements .......... 81, ,557, $40
43 brick buildings for business pur-
poses ............. ............. 5742S6
churches .................... .......... 54041
warehouses OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. TO9l
machine shops and factories.... A,235
716 additions, repairs and altera-
tions .............. ................ 25l 392
The following table shows the build
ing operations by months, the class of
buildings, the number Of permits issued
and fees received:
The herald., 1897-12-07
CHANGING NAMES
Many Streets Hereafter Will Be Called
Differently

The city engineer presented final
ordinances establishing the grade OF
Thirty seventh street from Ffgueroa
street to Vermont avenue: OF Hough
avenue from Jefferson street to the
The herald., 1897-12-07
Baggage Notice

Bright's special Delivery checks bag
gage TO all parts of the world 404 s.
Broadway. chamber Of commerce bldg.
The herald., 1897-12-07

Latest styles wall paper It A. A. Eek.
strom's. "a South Spring street
The herald., 1897-12-07
HITCHING ORDINANCE

Totals ............ 1884 257,s47 4l9O $685. II
Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30
now R4ilEr HH4s B1EsUM.
Aud That at the Veterans own Game
Advertising.

Aud That at the Veterans own Game
Advertising.
New York rross
One Of the elephants that were put
aboard the Massachusetts with the
Bar1um- Bailey circus was the meann
of making thu fortune that Mr.. Bailey
is credited with possessing. 1t was as
a baby phenomenon that tine naehyderm
did the good turn for the successor Of
the Great and Only Barnum. y
Columbia is the name of the creature,
and OF he hundreds of rarn animals in
the aggregation none is treasured more
highly than she, now huge, uugainly,
and ovnrgrbwn creature With not halt
tho wit possessed by ths smallest ele-
phant connected with tho circus.
1t was away hack in 1850, when the
news got around that tho frat cltphant
horn in captivity was living anu travel
ing with The Eailey show Mr.. Bailey
VIA struggling young circus owner
then, battling against fearful odds.
iiarnum was at the height Of his 70.
merkable caroer-at tho very tonmost
notch Of circus fame
Mr.. Barnum, quicE 10 see the adVan-
tGge of having so important an at
I
phant, teleeraphea to Mr.. Bailey as
follows:
will give you $780, GOO for your
bahy elephant, Must have it. 2
Mr.. Bailey wirud AZ an answer, Will
not sell at any price.
This seemed liarinG thing for Mr..
Bailey TO do, for SlO0, 600 would almost
have purchased the entire show. Even
Mr.. liailey's best friends, whom he
consulted in the matter, advised him 10
accept the offer. Instead Of doing that
he refused il and hustled East with
his circus 10 meet Barnum on his own
ground.
BY the timo that the Bailey circus
reached the East the whole country was
billed with posters on which was
printed, "What Barrum Thinks of the
Baby Elephant. !" Underneath the head
ing was printed Barnum's telegram to
Mr.. Bailey. AS the Bailey shDw fol
lowed in the wake Of the Bnrnum circus
each town in which the Barnum aggre-
CATION appeared was billed with the
Bailey posters.
Probably the Bailey advertising did
not affect the attendance at the Barnum
circus. Mr.. Bailey has since said that
he thought it did not. But thu advor.
tisements staring the veteran Snowman
in tho face everywhere he went worried
him, and finally, 10 dodge the huge
posters, he changed the route Of his
circus, although that route had been
determined upon nearly II months in
advance. He jumped from New Yori
TO Kansas City and surrendered tbs
whole Eastern field 10 the Bailey show.
The next year the two shows were con
solidated, and have been one show evel
| since.
Mr.. Bsrnun'H one joke with Mr.
Bailey as long as the shrewd old circus
manager was alive, was swell, hav,
you any more baby elephants that yot
do nut want to selI?"
Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30
CATS THAT UAIL IN TIE NIGHT


have heard the voice OF thunder when the
fiery bolts were sped
have heard the din of battle when the
bravest blanchcd with dread;
And have heard the tempest bowling as Our
good ship plowed the wave
And the savage echoes mutter in some sub
terranean cave.
But no sound has so appalled, me as the his
trionic might
Of the cats that wall in concert in the
watches of the night.
Oh! hate the man who borrows what he
never will repay,
And the wretch that stole my raiment
while bathod one morn in May;
But there rankles in my bosom hatred
more pronounced and deep,
Of the feline host of darkness which con.
spires to murder sleep;
Though from melodies artistic l derive ex-
IRENE delight,
despise such sercnading in the middle of
the night.
! have slain the fleeing roebuck with a
single well-timed shot,
But twas child's play to pursuing stray
cats i'll the vacant lot
AS they scurry meath the sidewalk all my
old-time valor fades,
And heartily consign them to tine diabolic
shades;
Though the language indulge in is more
torcefpl thar polite.
Can they ehide Inc who have listened to
!. these voices Of the night2
Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30

Chicago News
There is a pretty story connected
with the oClandine@poppy. According
to- the old legend it is the flower-lnvo
OF ths swallow and fills the woods with
sunshine at the birds appearance,
dying with his desertion
Very ancient ia the history of this
poppy. lis nRme is entwined with that
of the lotus of Egypt and the thyme of
Greece. II was one of the flowers the
nncients dedicated 10 Venus. The Shir-
ley poppies in our gardens are descend
nnts of tho wild rod poppy Of Europe,
often called the corn rose, about which
Burns and Tennyson have written.
Poppies are very easy to grow. Seeds
snwn in the fall or spring will produce
flowers all the noxt summer. TheS do
not neeh rich soil or much wnterina,
but grow in a careless style oil their
Own. A large poppy bed is gorgeous
riot OF colur, blazing crimson. brilliant
gold and snowdrifts of white which
must be seen to 10 appreciated. HUT
peoples are essentially an out.of-doo
flower as when cut they soon wilt and
fall
However, these gartlnn poppies have
changed with the years. Some are pure
white, others are bordered ana srlashed
with the red or are dainty pink.
There is the oriental poppy, which has
stems four feet high and whose flowers
arc often seven inches across, of dark
and splendid scarlet. with black upots
at the base of the petals. Tho poppy
is one Of tho most decorative Of lowers
and there arc any number OF beautiful
varieties TO be had Tor gardening.
Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-30
ISLANDS NAMED ron noes.
Whence 1.-THE Island of the Talking Dog
Derived Its Name.

Whence 1.-THE Island of ths Talking Dog"
Derived Its Name.
Dozens, some say scores, of islands,
OF greater or less dimensions, are known
as Little Dogs, Dog Islands, "
/" Big Dogs &c, says the Philadel-
phia Times. An island in the Thames,
now part of London. ia called
the elsie of Dogs. = Three lofty,
rocky islands near st. Thomas, Virgin
Islands. are known az The Great
Dog, = George Dog and tho West
Dog !" There are . Dog Islands" in
the Malayau archipelago; off tne coast
of MaineS on the coast OF Franklin
county: Fla, and another in tho Ser
watt group.
On the coast OF KamscnRtka there is
an island known as 1.-THE island of
Talking Dogs. The CURIOUS story
connected with this spOt OF land and
the one that gives it this name it hears
is this, according to an Asiatic legund (:
Tho first inhabitants of the far North
did not employ dogs hut drew their
walrus rib sleiis themselves. After
ages had elapsed men made an attempt
TO use the dogs Of that regioh--which,
by The way, TALKED JUST Hs men do--as
beastB of burien. Ihe talking dogs,
however, argued the case with their
would be masterR. and were not long in
proving that they had enough TO do TO
catch game for themselves and this chill
dran Of men.
But the men soon learned the use OF
the bow ami arrow and the spear, thus
running the occupation of the linking
dogs, Again an attempt was made to
harness them to seds, hut they ro.
belled, and MI swan ont to the island
afterward known aH THE island OF
Talking Dogs
Hern tho game was scarce, aud the
dogs soon turned cannibals, and by the
end OF the first winter there were only
seven left. Some humane Kamschat
kans volunteered TO row out to thu
island and bring off the remnant of tht
dog colony. But The dogs refused IL
lsave their barren island, saying
What people are you? We have nerei
spen you before. :" For this untrutt
Chari, the dog god, took their voice.
from them. and until this day thu,
have been the dumb servants of man