Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-12-09
THE CITY COUNCIL.
An Important Ordinance Passed - Troy Wins
on Tossup. Canvass of the CITY Vote

on Iossup- Canvass of the City vote1
The City Council met last evening
IN adjourned session, and opened under
the order of business at adjournment,
motion to grant liquor license o
John Glmlet for unexpired term of
one year. On motion of Wilson the
matter was postponed till next regular
meeting.
The ordinance vacating the tide flat
area was taken up. The committee
to which it had been referred reported
an amendment to the effect that work
should commence by the company
within one year or the ordinance
should be void, and this amendment
was adopted. When the ordinance
was put on final passage it passed,
every member voting for it.
Attorney Israel, for the company.
told the Council that work on the
grading would commence within ten
days. He also said that, as a span
would be required in the bridge over
the government waterway, his COM
pany would assist in the expense OF
building it, and asked the Council to
refrain from going ahead on the work
OF repairing the bridge for n few days.
George Scoiield, one of the contractors,
expressed a willingness to hold up the
work, should it be necessary. This
matter was finally referred to the street
committee with power to act.
A resolution was introduced by Mari,
to the effect that, as an architect had
declared the city hall safe, it hereafter
be rented at $3.50 per day. Doherty
said he wanted to amend that resolu-
ton by adding to it a saving clause"
He said that, Notwithstanding an arch
itect did say the hall was safe. he
doubted it, and moved to add to Mars
resolution the words: THAT parties
hiring the hall to do so at their own
risk" The amendment was adopted
after some little discussion.
The Council then went into COM
mittee of the whole, with Mari in the
chair. Clerk Scotield told the members
to stand up, and with much solemnity
swore them in as a canvassing board.
This ceremonious proceeding caused
Murphy to remark, amid laughter,
that this was the first time he ever had
to go through a hold-up" in that
duty, and he had helped to canvass
lots of returns. The canvass was made
and resulted as is elsewhere published.
When the committee arose and re-
ported the result of the Council, it was
ordered that certificates issue to all
having majorities. p. NJ. Troy and c.
ID. King, having tied on the vote for
City Attorney, the question of how to
settle the matter was taken up. Mr..
Troy said that he and Mr.. King and
agreed on a method of procedure and
had prepared n resolution which would
he submitted to the Council. Mr..
Troy said the law covering the case
was ambiguous, and they both were of
the opinion that the resolution would
fix things all right; at least, they both
agreed to abide by it. The resolution
provided that the matter be decided by
the Tipping of silver dollar by the
City Clerk, and was very heavy in de-
tails and legal verbage. The question
of who was to call "heads" was to be
settled by drawing straws and the dol
lar should be tossed at least ten feet in
the air.
When the preliminaries had been
cleared away and the referee stepped
into the ring, the crowd in the lobby
pressed up against the ropes, and Clerk
Scotield produced his little straws.
Troy pulled, and King pulled, and it
was found that the former had won
the choice of corners, or, in other
words, Troy had pulled the long straw
and was to yell "heads," or "tails,"
as he might choose. With a gravity
becoming the occasion and rs if the
fate of the nation depended on his
SlCi ICCOiItlu SttDBcu W
the center CATER borrowing dollar
from one of the interested parties) and
proceeded to toss. Getting into clear
space, to avoid foul by striking
lamp or electric light bulb, the Clerk
Tipped the dollar to good height,
and Troy yelled "tails." When the
dollar struck the floor everyone pushed
up to see the result. "Tails" it was,
and Troy had been chosen City Attor-
ney. King congratulated him like a
true sport, the crowd applauded gen.
erously, and the incident closed.
1t was suggested, however, by a by
stander that to the best of his judg-
ment the coin did not raise by quar-
ter of an inch ten feet into the air. if
so, there are certainly valid grounds
for contest or for another game OF
jack-straw," if the technicalites Pc
culiar to the legal fraternity are OBJ
served.
After the Council ordered certifi.
cate issued to Troy and the city cleo
trician had been authorized to make
repairs to the fire alarm system, the
Council adjourned.