Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-21
BANG0R'S CHANGE.
-,:ia."
Mayor Beal Retires After Sew
en- Terms In Office.
Address Of Mayor Chaplin Short and
BusinessIike.
Mr.. Beats valedictory Feature Of the Inaug.
uration Exercises. Monday.

Bangor, Me-. March 20.-tSpecial)-
The inauguration exercises of the new
mayor of Bangor and the city council
were held this forenoon in City hall be-
fore a large audience. The event was
one of unusual interest in Bangor, ana
all over Maine for that matter. since II
marked the entry of a new mayor mere
the chief official of the city Iof the
past seven years. Hon. r. y. beal' nav
ing retired after serving Tor lohsei
time than any other mayor IN Mai'le
ever did. Mayor Chapn was s"oi"
in NV CITY Clerk Brett and the mayor
in turn administered the oath 10 'he
citv council. Prior to the inaugural
address the out going mayor, Mr.. Beai'
delivered an address reviewing the
work of the past seven years. which
was received with great attention and
applause. He spoke as follows:
MIR. BEALiS ADDRESS.
"Gentlemen of the City Council: AS
we are about to close the doors upon
nv administration of affairs with the
city, it seems to me to be but fair and
lust that we should take a few mo-
ments this morning and look back into
the past and to some extent review the
work that has been accomplished.
IN 1892 7 assumed the responsibility
of mayor of Bangor. ! found at that
time that the city had temporary
loan of $4,000: it was under contract
TO pay deficiency on interest account
of the Il. & +. Railroad of 100000 also
a floating debt of the same road of
$23 O00 The city was also mortgaged
land | mean by that that the real es-
tate here in the city, no matter by
whom owned) to the extent of $9I,Soo
per year. which the city was liable t.
have to pay. sothat in the spring OF
'92 the city really had floating debt
of about $l0S.o00, liability of an inter-
est account of 1876 per year, and a
permanent debt of $l,515,000
How do we practically stand today?
The floating debt of $685. 900 has been
paid the interest account reduced to
about $39, 900 per year. and the perma-
nent debt of $1575,0 600 reduced to $3.50.
600 AS the money to pay for the city
bonds issued in aid of the B. &, p. Rail
road is now, or will within few days
deposited in the Merchants National
bank, of Boston, where the bonds are
in part made payable. This relieves
the city from all liabj- les on account
OF railroads, under which we have
struggled for some As years 1t has
taken great deal of hardwork and
hours of study to bring about this de-
srable state of affairs, as our worthy
mayor-elect and some of our citizens
well know 1t has often been the cause
Of earnest debate and heated argument
on account of the differences of opin-
ion as TO which was the best method OF
handling the great problem. but these
differences l have always considered
were honest differences, and now thai
the matter is a thing of the past ant
will soon be hid in the darkness of eter
nifty, let us hope that there will be lef
no scar by which the most friendly
feelings of all our citizens will be ir
the least strained one towards the
other
''There will be left over from the las
city government a debt of about $780,,
O0O mostly on account of the water
works l trust that you and your
mayor will think it advisable to put a:
much of this as the law will admit o.
into a mortgage. payable portion
each year after four or five years. ant
out of the earnings Of the water board
so as to relieve the taxpayers from
any unnecessary burden and so as t
place our tax-rate so low that 1t WI
not be burden to our humblest citi-
zen. think that the time has now
come when this can safely be done.
.'One OF the first improvements to be-
made by my advice was the laying 81
a new water main from the water
works to Thomass Hill near where
now stands the stand pipe. This wa:
caused by the fact that a small eight
inch pipe was practically all the man
pipe we had to bring water into inc
city. and as this was entirely made
uuate for fire purposes and to furn1si
water on the elevated grounds, 1t was
thought best to put in one additloha
ntra OF twenty-inch size. which will bt
all-sufficient for many years. TINS COS
about $4,000.
s"The next thing To attract my at
tention was a new city hail. TINS CRANE
building where we now are Inc mos
of YOU remember the work it took Il
accomplish this result. | never haV'
stenped into this building that l nave
not been proud that put the work llt'
it that did This cost about Slzo'oo
all furnished.
"At this time and while the new CIT.
hall was being built, the oiu Wy h'''
was moved across the street. where nov
stands the new Adams block ana tnei
used one year by the city departments
July 4th. 1898, to July Atm 1871 d
which the new City hall was dedica'e'
with appropriate ceremonies. ne Wv Wv
CITY hall which was considered ia'i'
er historic building, it having serve
as a court house in its earliest Gays
church and not least of all a oafraoh
for the British redcoats about the UNI
of the battle Of Hampden, was ''e
taken down by Major James n. Da' !;
and moved and regretted. Where ~
now used the lower part ior ''o.
rooms. and the upper part as an nj.
mory for Uncle Sans biuecoats' - =
identity of the hall was preserved ~ :,
The sentiment that there was III y
mis- cost about $4,000 -.
NV attention was next called ~ u
condition of things at our poor la, -,
The most Of you will remember - .n
unsightly engine house with us co., saa1
chimney that stood boldly out IN rf o.,
NJ Tho other buildings. giving the VINO