The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-04-27
What is the Matter with the
Town Council?
ne Editor o; Tue Fig S one Gap Ppsr:e


Town CounciI2
To Tie Editor o; Tue Fig S one Gap Ppsr:s
A special meeting of the Council wal
called for last Saturday to consider severa
questions of considerable interest TO the
community. One of these questions was
an appropriation for school purposes
The salaries of the teachers for last month
are now nearly a month overdue. 1t has
heretofore been customary TO appropriate
the full amount necessary for the year at
one time as soon as the County and State
funds were exhausted. This year the
Council has adopted the plan, for reasons
difficult to see, of making appropriations
from time to time as necessity required.
AT their last regular meeting, the matter
was overlooked. The Mayors attention
was called to the fact, and he said he
would, and did, include it in his notice
for a special meeting. One would suppose
that this was alone a subject of sufficient
Importance and interest to secure an at
tendance of at least a quorum of our
(city) fathers. Eut no, not one showed
up except the Mayor. We fear they are
Jaihers in but name only. If they were
the real article, they certainly would have
felt interest enough in their own offspring,
even if in nobody's else, to have given FIVE
minutes of their valuable time to the
question of ways and means for running
the school.
Another question, as stated in the
notice, was the water works. j. NJ. Good |
loe, j. NJ. Stewart, W. W. Lickley, G. A.
Moore, j. l.. Hamblen, C. C. Cochran, II
|. Sullivan, and a number of other patri-
otto citizens recently instituted an injunc-
ton suit against the water company, and
a temporary injunction, e%njoin-
ing it from taking up the water pipes, and
compelling it TO continue to supply the
Town with pure water until further order.
The attorneys who bought the suit gen.
'rouslv agreed to give their services free
If charge, but, nevertheless, these gentle
men who allowed their names to he used
IS planting are liable for the cours costs
nd damages in case they eventually fail
o sustain the injunction. Their action I
'as, of course, for the benefit of the whole
own, and the town should assume liability
all costs aud damages, and the passage ,
| a resolution to that effect was one of
he objects of the meeting. 1t was also =,
to take up the question of rails. =
lg the money, by issuing bonds or '
10 purchase the water works.
nd yet not a man attended except the
ayor! One might understand this, il it
ere in kentucky-but what excuse can a \
irginian make fof neglecting the water b
lpplyf If the injunction is dissolved,
I'd the plaintiffs therein mulcted for !,
veral thousand dollars costs and ~
we imagine the aforesaid fathers
III get something pretty straight from d
ese same pIaintiffs-and it will be hotter =
All red liquor too, but yet not a circum-
to what may be expected from
other source in case the pipes are re-
oved aud the water cnt off. In this case,
mo,hers Of the city will be heard FROM,
d there will be a hot time in the old
for the fathers, and they will he ,
zen real and valid excuses for not at.
any more council meetings, no a
IRE, forever. =.
It has been suggested that they did not
end because there was yet another u
tteI to be acted on. The new Tele- \
one Company proposes to connect Big :,
me Gap with Jonesville, Gate Civ. "
stol, and thence on with a dozen or 81
other towns in Southwest Virginia n,
Eastern Tennessee, and TO guarantee
tain maximum rates, etc., provided n ~
the exclusive franchise in Big
ne Gap. 1t is said that. some of the DIE
nbers who absented themselves are sy'
to any such grant, and stayed the
y in order to defeat it'll Such action "e'
be fun for the boys, but It's death on ~.
frogs. Would it not be better, gentle boo
!, to come up like men, and vote is
inst the telephone ordinance if you r
ose it, and be there to vote for other trol
sures which are absolutely necessary s.c
The city's welfaref unit
perhaps we have not yet gotten at sf'
milk in the ~cocoanut. Some lime I.
e, the Council passed a stock law. obi
q then all those who are candidates mat
selection land we believe they all Hoo
have found that, as Uncle lessee cure
would have expressed IL, "it,s ssrr
,erous as q cooked gun" An effort '
have been made on Saturday 10 =
Al the law as to horses or SO change n
10 allow two horses TO run at large.
whispered that some of those who
"a away did not want to show banda
his mOmsntoua ouaatiou 70. tl-. =