New-York tribune., 1899-08-21
THE BOND FIGHT.
Ex-MAYoR GLEAsoNs CONTINUED OPPOSITION
TO THE ISSUE AND HOW HE WAS THwARTED

rxYAyoR GLEAsoNs CONTINUED OPPOSITION
TO THE ISSUE AND HOW HE WAS THwARTED.
The story that certain taxpayers are going TO
hiring suit 10 test the validity OF sl,255cO Long
Island City improvement bonds is an Old one II
the Borough OF Queens The fight began even pc
fore the Legislature authorized the issue, ~ 1850
The year before Patrick J. Gleason Mayor OF
Long Island City was defeated for re-elecuon by
the anti-Gleason Democrats. Mayor SANFORD was
elected.
Mavor Gleason's activity in making improve
meuts had been largely confined TO erecting pre-
tentlous schoolhouses, and his pohtical opPonet1S
charged that much of the money had been squAh-
dered
Soon after Mayor Sanford went into once eA
tensive improvements were planned. IN the torn
OF paving and sewers. Some OF the taxpayers
hesitated at the vast expense Whlch "ou'o %
rAcessary but Mayor Sanford and his trlehos
plunged Into the scheme, and everything LOT d
+,rnA went uerrtlv Among the improvements De-
gun were the paving and grading OF Nernon-ave
along the East River from Hunters Point 70 AS
toria; also OF Jackson-ave, from hunters Folnt
% The steinway section. and the construction OF
several trunk sewers.
Many OF the local contractors wanted TO 90 'he
work but II was said that they did not command
the necessary capital Sheehan & O'Brien steppeu
IN and the work was begun. The plans appear
20 have been crudey drawn, especially IL re'auon
TO the sewers Many thousands OF cuolc lee' OF
sOld rock had 10 be DldsteQ anu LtAiS'VN
places for the grading, While IN DINERS ihuol i-e
Boon after work was begun on some OF the Dig
-r1Ink sewers scandalOus stories became cOInlo.A
and II was charged that not only were Ine seWeas
,1ucb TOO large for the requirements. Dut thaI
their mode OF construction was SO IauItE thI mo me
would cave in of their own weight. In fact some
OF len ZEN u nniieence fraud ana coilusiOn against
those concerned il the construction. .,o - 1909
Mayor Sanford dechneQ Z - Maiden now
ooairat ex-Mayor Gleason. Jonn r Mau1ei' ~"
ths Tammany Hall leader n queens County iai''
~ ufaC 81
Il 600 Improvement bonds. declared that tHe
was illegal and tried 20 prevent thelt saiS "a bear
fiuenced the bankers ana othoS otheIs than1 Then
a. -, M, being able 70 sell the bonds mace an
arrangement with Sheehan U Brlen aG otdTi Fr ,Ler
tractors 10 give them bonds In payment AOi 'i0
FR-Mayor Gleason said yesterday o-,s .o--
"Tt was my fight against the loppery an aii1 re
rupton in that bond issue; wR.Sh Eag Nv term was
Mayor Of Long Island City IN Issf; M}y I}yebt ~ De-
pr 80 oS 1se4 | knew that some devlttry rfi EaS
going on in the Treasurer olnce ot ia Sorn9ration
oecAusgg zostsT was there Five minutes before
rciSnqbt went 10 the city Hail anG saw IN ~ Al ,a 90
" l.. go NOT being able TO get in through ths
door burst open a WINDOW, an, r. a. Sbeehan
size crawled through JUST as 90 .nrryrg - out
O'Brien and the rest Oh 'neni ~
~ was then too late act, as City boI
Knapp had completed the bogus sure "a 'i' ~
- SFSFoaboD and the others. -.
.gi7be contractors gave checks IN payIhentt lo 4
tho bonds which City Treasurer hhaPP steII1c ~.
and passed over TO them ne nssasson OF he
go(1 ~ me time but getting possessoh & Dl ~ ~
sood ~ CONTRACTORS took them 10 the Dahks tAe
80 morning and deposited them N Ieu % 49, 49,
10 meet payment on the enc CneOnS ~, 90, ~ nor cent
f 80 Seca value of the bonds for his part IN me
TRANSACTION.