Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-08-03
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY By THE SEA.
Some big Snakes on the
Rampage at the Tea
Gardens.
TIE CREHlIORY PROJECT Still HANGS FIRE.
A LITTLE LIGHT ON THE sAvoRY SUB
JECT-KELLY's INVESTIGATIONS
NOMINATIONS NEEDED To WIN IN ALLAN
TIC COUNTY.

There was an interesting old time up
at the Japanese Tea Gardens shortly
after midnight, last Wednesday morning,
when a couple of gigantic snakes escaped
from their cage and started in to run a
show on their own hook. For awhile
they met with great success. They killed
a bear, an ape and monkey, chewed up
q Japanese chicken with tail twenty
feet long, and crushed in the ribs of
Japanese gardener who was employed
in the Gardens. Then one of the reptiles
left for wider sphere of usefulness and
started up the beach toward the Inlet.
Some of our belated citizens and visitors
who had been taking in the town"
during the night were nearly struck
dead with fright to see snake twenty
five feet long, and half as big around as
beer keg, leisurely working it's way
along in front of them. They came to
the conclusion that they chad 'em," and
signed the temperance pledge as soon as
they were steady enough to hold a pen.
After several hours searching and fight
ing, and much Japanese swearing, the
big serpents were finally recaptured and
put back in their cage. The excuse given
is that a careless keeper had forgotten to
shut the door of the cage, after feeding
them, and they easily got away. Now
isn't that nice state of affairs in large
public place of amusement, where there
are hundreds and perhaps thousands of
people gathered day and evening? Sup
pose those two monster snakes had
escaped when there was a big crowd of
women and children present Aud what
reason have we to suppose that just
such criminal carelt sness ia not to be
found in some other part of the show ?
1t is not very pleasant part of the
program to have such huge reptiles
liable to break loose at any moment, and
somebody would surely be crushed to
death if they got into crowd, either in
panic or in the deadly embrace OF the
serpents. Our city authorities should
see to it that these people who run this
big shOw-where every visitor is
squeezed" for several admissions
made to comply with the regulations for
the safety of the public or else take their
license away from them. 1t wouldn't be
a great public calamity if they did the
latter.
The erection. of a new Crematory for
burning the City's garbage still hangs
fire, and the city suffers and some people
hold their nose when in the vicinity OF
the old one But then our citizens are
used to that sort of thing and Of course
they enjoy it. After the City had ordered
the purchase of lot for a new Crema-
tory, contractors were invited to make
bids in the usual way, in compliance
with the plans and specifications, and
asked to name the lowest price at which
they would erect the furnaces to burn
the garbage. The ones in use at present
cost quite large sum ofmoney but have
failed to give satisfaction. Among the
bidders was the agent of the Pennsyl-
vania Construction Company, to whom
the contract was finally awarded, who,
am informed, made an honest bid,
without any marginal "rake-off" for
anybody. A Committee of Council had,
before awarding the contract, examined
one of the garbage burners in full opera
tion in another city and found that it
worked satisfactorily But as soon as
there was prospect of our own city
getting square deal certain so-calIed re-
formers put themselves in evidence and
are doing their best to "bust" the con-
tract. Then it was that the troubles of
the honest contractor bogan in earnest.
| am told that he offered bonds to the
full amount of the contract, and also
offered to operate the plant for one year
to prove that his System would save the
City thousands of dollars annually; but
up to the time of this writing has failed
to touch the sympathetic cord in the
anatomy of our Reform Mayor who has
seen the City cheated and the people
robbed year after year. Nothing short
of actual sight-and that with his own
eyee-will ever convince him that such a
thing as an honest contractor lives but
il he does live His Honor cannot under
stand what he should want to come here
for.
''Sam" Kelley, who is also reformer
and is determined to see that the tax
payers are prott cted, has spent lots of
time, some money, and much eloquence
in getting the inside facts in this Crena-
Committee to large city, where the
Contracting Co. had erected garbage
burner, and they were surprised to find
that for year the plant had actually
done all that was claimed for it. On
the strength of their report he went into,
training his voice and otherwise improv-
ing his oratorical powers that has be-
come somewhat impaired by telling SO
many Of his cottage tenants that it was
to reduce their rent this year.
After getting his voice back to concert
pitch he gathered three-quarters of
cord of documents and proceeded to un-
load their contents in Council. When he
had told them the story ofhis labOrs and
of the Investigations of his Committee
the effect was somewhat startling upon
that noble band of patrio tic officials who
stay at home and sacrifice their time and
talents in serving the people, instead of
driving the red hot Spaniards out of
Cuba aud Porto Rico. Father" Sam
Rose upon hearing that q garbage plant
had been found that would actually do
the work claimed for it, tainted dead
away. George Long looked at his
partner and fellow-couDcilman Sam
Barton, and exclaimed, 'can this be SO? 2"
"I'll not believe it, George" said Sam,
unless Lew. Donnelly says so." The
effect was such blow to the Contractors
who are members of the distinguished
body that one of them, at least, went to
CanAda to recover from the shock. The
Mayor also hied himself to cooler
climate to brace himself up after hearing
such remarkable news, for his nervous
ordinary strain. In spite of Contractors,
Committees, Investigations, Documents.
Speeches and Meetings of Council the new
Crematory project is still ont of sight
like the new City Hall that might have