The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-04-10
The City Council.

The city legislature met in regular
monthly session Monday evening, with
his honor and all the aldermen present.
After the minutes had been read and
approved the various committees were
called on to report. Mr.. Matlock from
the cemetery committee reported that
he had had the city team to haul rock
and stop up holes through which hogs
had been getting into the cemetery. AS
member also of the committee on
purchasing safe for keeping the city
records he reported that such a safe had
been purchased and put in place at a
cost to the city of s95.
Cancelled warrants amounting to
1896. Go were burned in open session.
Bills being presented then to the
council for approval, several of them
for hauling away dead animals were
objected to by Mr.. Matlock on the
ground that they were private property
and died on private property and should
be removed by the owner at his expense
not the city's. Mr.. Houck stated that
wherever it was possible he attempted
to find the owner of such and have him
remove same. A motion that the city
team be hereafter used for such
purposes, carried.
A party made proposition to put up
the names of streets and raise money
for so doing by subscription. The
proposition was tabled.
The thing which caused the most
discussion was an ordinance to extend
the fire limits to take in the site to
which it was proposed to move the Frisco
freight depot. Mr.. w. E. Barnes was
present and was asked to make a state
ment as to what the railroad pro posed
to do. Mr.. Barnes stated that he had
informed the officials that it was the
wish of the merchants of Van Buren, to
have the depot located on the site pro-
posed. That the removal would cost
the company about 5000, and that they
expected to derive no immediate benefit
from the removal. Mr.. Wood inter
jected that he felt certain that if the
company would spend $400 additional
they could construct brick depot of
almost the same dimensions as the
present frame structure. Several of
the members spoke in favor of the
ordinance and on motion the second and
third readings were dispensed with and
the ordinance passed. Mr.. Barnes
then asked that they be allowed to erect
a berry shed east of Cane Hill street.
This location being outside the fire
limits no objection could be raised.
Mr.. Geo. R. Wood then addressed
the council and suggested that the
officials of the Frisco be asked to send
representative to confer about the
proposed improvement and that the city
would do everything within reason to
assist them, which suggestion was put
on record as the sense of the council.
A Mr.. Bradley, of Purcell, /. T..
addressed the council on the electric
light question. He said he was running
a plant at Purcell, but did not like the
country and would like to put in
plant here and make this his home, but
said he was not prepared to compete
with the prices the city had been offered
by some other concerns. He stated
that he would have a proposition to
make in a week or ten days, unless
deal should be closed with other parties
before that time. He made favorable
on the aldermen, especially
as he offered to give bond if awarded
the franchise.
Bills amounting to 1856. 45 were
and ordered paid. Fifty