El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-01-21
ADJOURNED IN SHORT ORDER.
The City Council Quit Quick on Hear
ing the City Hall Was Burning.

The municipal solons met last night
in the county court room, and ere be-
coming acclimated to the new sur
roundiugs, swhen the announcement
that the city hall was on fire scatter
ed the fock' until 10 a. m today.
The mayor graced Judge Harper's
judicial throne, the city clerk cover
ed pretty much the whole of the ad-
Joining desk, the aldermen grouped
themselves about the attorneys tab! e
as comfortably as was possible under
the circumstances, while the reporters
perched around we'll, everywhere.
Clerk Catlin with a sweet, serene
aud peaceful smile denoting entire
satisfaction with the prospect before
him, starred in to read 'steen pages of
"the minutes OF the previous meet
ing" There were some zen chapters
in this blood curdline narrative, and
the yellow kid in Hogan's alley was
MT in it with Clerk Catlin and "the
minutes of the previous NEE iug." 1t
required nesrly half an hour to get
through with the exciting story, and
his honor listened with eager expecta-
tion and attention all the way through
After he had added a corrolary, the
minutes were approved, and the clerk
took fresh breath and a fresh cigar.
Thd clerk read a report from City
Attorney Judge Kemp, adverse to the
mod est claim of $1,000 for impromptu
damage to one Joe Ruggle who fell by
night intO an excavation back of the
psrlor saloon, while wrapt in thought.
The report was accepted.
The clerk then made the pleasant
announcement that twenty-five build
ing permits had bean issue by him in
December; and the equally pleasant
dream Of the time when the permits
would reach the IOOdth mark, he sank
gracefully back into his seat.
Up to this moment the atmosphere
had been one of intense serenity and
peaceful calm: and a sort of ethical
quietness brooded over the face of the
Judge Kemp tilted back in his chair
gazing earnestly thoughtfully at the
cornice, thinking of the city tax cases;
q. B. Clard sat without the bar send
ing smoky rings from his "Hepry
Clay" curling lightly towards the cell
ing. ex-Fire Chief Conner moved un-
easily in his seat as though fretful,y
anticipating, he did not exactly know
what, the aldermen sat glued to their
seats as though overcome by the viol
ent change to the new quarters, and
the reporters were pinchnig themselves
to keep awake.
fire bell. Conner picked up his ears,
then picked up his hat and made a bee
line for bis bike on which he was speed
ing towards the city hall Immediately
if not sooner. A moment or two after
wards, ex Chief of Police Ed Fink
stalked into the room with very I'M
aes thetic adruptness, calling out,
"Where's the chief of police? He's
wanted Immediately down town; the
city hall is burning down."
The much wanted official was SOM
reclining in his chair, but Ea
Fink's stentorian query brought bin
to bis feet with such celeri,y as to
we'll nigh break him In two and
grabbing his nat and cane made tracks
for the city hall like a comet in
perlhelion. The announcement was 8
regular cannon cracker under the al
dermanic seat. Judge Coldwell Jump
ed up. and moved an Adjournment
until 1000 q. M, today, with the re-
mark that II the city hall was
burning down 1--WE had better be get
ting down there and not remaining
bere," while the clerk made several
leaps and a handspring for the te-
lephone 70 find out if all this were so.
That ended the story of the evening,