The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-02-10
The City Council Orders the Third
Divided at Twenty-Ninth
Street.
FIRST WARD is LARGER
BY Reason of Changing the Bound
airy Line-Regular Monthly
Meeting of the Council.

The city council met in regular session
Tuesday night in the fire hall. All
members were present and Mayor
Smith, who, since the last meeting had
become a benedict, occupied the usual
seat Of honor. In honor Of his recent
nuptials the mayor treated the alder
men and visitors present to cigars.
The session occupied some little time as
several matters Of Importance were
before the august assembly.
The report of the chief Of the fire de-
partment and the police judge were
submitted. The former shows that
only two fires had occurred during the
month Of January, viz: the Northern
Pacific switch shanty. damage $40;
Paul McCormick's residence, damage,
$3.50; the water pressure was reported
good in both instances. The report of
the police judge shows the sun Of $285
collected iii fines during January from
the women Of i'll repute.
The following petition, signed by one
hundred and fifteen persons, occasioned
some discussion and received due con-
sideration finally:
Honorable City Council: We, resi-
dents, taxpayers and voters, living on
the south side of the Northern Pacific
railway track in the third ward of the
city Of Billings, do most urgently petit
tion your honorable body to divide the
third ward into two wards"
The council ordered the clerk to draw
up the necessary ordinance and have
same printed, declaring that the said
third ward be divided into two wards,
the dividing line being at Twenty-ninth
|Nreet, the west ward to be called the
Fourth. The law requires a residence
Of $50 voters in order to create a new
ward. The contemplated new ward,
at the last poll Of the town showed 1853
voters registered, while the old third
had about 173. In creating this new
ward, it necessitates the election Of two
new aldermen in the spring.
The council. realizing chat the first
ward was comparatively smaller than
the second, ordered that the dividing
line be changed from north Twenty
seventh street to Twenty-eighth street.
Some thought it should be changed to
Twenty ninth street, but Alderman
Spear made an able speech against such
discrimination, as he did not intend to
legislate himself out Of office. He lives
on Twenty eighth street.
Yegen Bros. petitioned the council to
permit them to erect a frame, iron
covered building inside the fire limits,
Oh the south side of the Northern Paci-
fc right of way, said building to be
used as a cold storage and warehouse.
The prayer Of the petitioners was gran
ted.
Bids for doing the city printing for
the ensuing year were received from
both The Gazette and Billings Times.
The bids were the same, the prices
asked being the same as allowed by law
for such work. The contract was awar-
ded to The Gazette.
The following bills were audited and
allowed:
Billings Water Power Co., ny
drant rent for quarter end
ing Jan. 81, ..$868 rs
Billings Water Power Co., cleo
trio lighting for January. ao2 so
Geo. Soule, plumbing, etc.. 8 so
j. d. Matheson, printing $500. 2 90
Donovan & Spear, coal........ 9 90
Geo. T. Lamport, surveying
grade. .................... 10 90
IS. B. Sawyer, Jr., carpenter
f work ...... 8 w
Geo. Roberts, board Of prison
| -, .NH..3 E Co. sM' q En
orS. ......- . w
Martin Burns, hay ....... 8 II
Toole g. Vaughan, coal. ...... IL 05