The herald., 1897-10-16

|
board at the earliest meeting.
The question Of the street sweeping
was then reopened by Councilman Toll,
who blandly inquired what benefit
would have been accomplished should
the three months contract be trans
| ferred to the merchants, over and above
some $4,000 Of extra expense having been
| unnecessarily borne and few unem-
ployed laborers given some occupation.
Mr.. Zeehandelaar attempted to state
! that the eastern tourists would have
been favorably impressed with the city
and its environs, whereat his hopes were
speedily dashed to the ground by the
rrepressible councilman pertinently in
quiring whether the tourists were to be
imprisoned between Main and Broad
| way and First and Third streets. This
was too much of a problem for the cham
pion of hand sweeping, and the matter
was ended for the time being by Mr..
Zeehandelaar being advised to confer
personally with the present contractor
and see if some sort of an understand
ing could not be arrived at, provided, of
course, that the city should be put to no
extra expense. This was the deathblow
to the question in the aspiring secre-
tary's eyes. and he vanished through
the open door and down the marble steps
with a parting word of consola ton from
Coun Gilman Grider, who assured him he
had the entire boards heartfelt sympa
thy.
ROUTINE BUSINESS
Permission was then granted to the
bandmaster of the Seventh Regiment
~, % eor
public concerts in front of the city hall
every Saturday night between and 8
| o'clock.
State Senator Finn OF Pittsburg, Pa,
chairman Of the California Asphalt
company, limited, local concern, with
works at Ventura, next petitioned the
board to have the city specifications for
paving contracts altered in order to al
| low his company to bid in that line In
the future. City Engineer Dockw eiler,
| however decided that the point which
caused the trouble did not. debar the
| company from entering the ring,
inasmuch as it was merely a techni-
cality to do away with a certain class of
undesirable material, and that as long
as the chemical tests were satisfactory,
| the method employed in manufacture
did cot cut much figure. However, Mr..
Finn was Informed that il his COM
pany desire6 to go any further into the
matter it would be necessary for
sample of the material to be sent to San
Francisco for analysis by the city's
chemical authority.
| The petition of residents for tempo
rary sidewalks in the neighborhood of
First and Olive streets, and numerous
small matters concerning the cleaning
of drains and repairing of sewers dam
aged by the recent storm, were referred
| to the street superintendent.
STREET SIGNS
| The afternoon session Of the board, was
attended by delegation from the
chamber of ommerce, heade6 by w. G.
| Patterson, and consisting of General
Forman, r. J. Waters, T. L. Duque and
Judge L. A. Croft. The subject under
discussion was the problem of street
signs, which are badly needed since the
recsnt 326 official changes in street
names made by the city council some
eight moEths ago. Mr.. Patterson
moved the board almost to tears with "a
pathetic story of an eastern friend who
had become hopelessly lost, what be-
| tween the directory, the present signs,
and no signs at all, and the necessity for
| immediate and effective action in the
matter was emphasized by the tragic
ending of the unfortunate, who took the
next train home. Some discussion fol-
| lowed, and, was kept up at intervals
during the whole of the afternoon, when
1t was finally decided TO advertise for
bids on both wood and metal posts and
signs the preference to be given to the
one which would be cheapest, most dur
able, handiest, and most easily to be
seen at night. The city clerk will, in
due course be instructed to advertise in
! the usual manner.
| The numbering of houses was also
brought very forcibly before the board,
and, a communication from the post
master ON the subject received with
great interest. 1t will probably be de-
cided in few days as to the course to
be adopted, and in the meanwhile resi-
dents are notified that the official num-
| ber of their houses can be ascertained
| from the city engineer on application.
| MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
| The protest OF ]. F. Babe and. others
against the paving of Fremont avenue
| DGlWeeU lulIb anu Jul III SlTGelS W DIS
referred to committee for investiga-
| ton, as was also petition from a num-
| ber of business men to have Alameda
street sidewalks south from Commercial
street put in sood repair.
| The protest of Frances Mcdonald
agas1st the closing of Avenue 81, west
| of Pasadena avenue, was also re-
ferred to committee for investiga-
ton. The protest is of some interest
involving, as it does, the legality of a
city ordinance already passed.
The ordinance to sidewalk Vignes
street was returned to the city council
unsigned by the mayor, at the request of
| Councilman Hutchison.
| The following bids on street work were
| accepted by the board
| Adams street, Frank Whittier.
Elizabeth street, l.. Brodie.
| Thirty-fift street, r. H. McCray.
| Twenty econd street, Frank Gillespie
I Twenty-frst street, Frank Gillespie.
| Rosabe street L. Brodie.
The Bridge Closed
Superintendent of Streets Drain found
| it necessary to close Also street bridge
against general traffic yesterday, owing
| to the precarous situation of the same
| caused by the recent rains.
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