The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-21
Dead Animal Question Settled
For at Least so Days.
City Council Wisely Decides to
Cremate All Refuse.
CAUSE OF TROUBLE.
FOrYearsThisOdOriferOus-B BOgie
Has Haunted City Hall.
High Time to Dispose of 1t
Permanently.

Last night was dead animal night with
the city council. There is nothing very
that the council has met as far back as
the memory of man runneth has been
meeting of the council last night was call
ed for the express purpose OF olspoSlhs
It was disposed of-for go days At the
end of that time it will probably BOP up
again to be a nightmare to the members
of the council for another period of great
The contract is awarded to the Topeka
CrematOry company for go days on trlal.
tract for ten years. but the council did
that length Of time without Knowing first
Just how it would work and for that reas-
on the trial contract was made. The bids
were opened last week but were not acted
The bid of the crematory company was
The city crematory of Topeka. will
agree to gather and cremate all dead ami
mails left in the streets and alleys of the
city, and also where there is no owner or
where the owner is unable to pay for the
police headquarters and the city electric
light plant for a term of ten years for $50
we also agree to gather, and cremate
dead animals, etc at the following prices;
Horses, mules and cattle at S2 per head
Hogs, sheep and dogs at p cents per
Night soil 40 cents per barrel or 10
cents per cubic foot
Refuse from barns so cents per cubic
yard, or 25 cents per cubic yard when
delivered to crematory.
House garbage and slOps 25 cents per
barrel, or 10 cents per barrel when de-
Butchers Offal. including feathers. etc,
25 cents per barrel, or Is cents per barrel
when delivered to crematory-'
mitted bid, the price which ranged from
a fourth to a half of those named in the
crematOry bid, but he did not agree to
cremate the dead animals and refuse as
required by the council.
Councilman Benson opened the discus
sion by moving that the contract be
awarded to the crematOry company at the
terms specified in its bid.
Councilman Hughes Immediately said:
THAT proposition calls for a contract for
ten years. think it is too long"
I understand the company will come
down to five. years" said Mr.. Benson.
read, and a discussion followed over the
price charged for dispOsing of barn re-
the price was more than double what the
people of the city have been paying.
yard apply to the city or private individ-
ua!s?n asked Counetlman Belts. 49,,
the $50 a month contract"
Councilman CLANCY said he was in IA
in favor of paying $50 a month for dis
good offered to do it for S24.
month, said Mr.. Benson, while this one
be considered Because it does not agree
to cremate the dead animals according to
advertisements for bids"
we ought to dispose of this matter by
having everything cremated,'' said COun-
Gilman Blossom. There has always been
trouble heretofore about this matter. Peo-
pie have even got out with shot guns to
keep dead animals from being buried in
Councilman Elliott was in favor of hav-
ing the refuse burned, but he thought the
refuse is away up he said. 'sTve got a
couple of horses myself, and that price
Will count up. I'm looking out for John
Elliott as well as for the city. That price
is too high for private individuals to pay"
MI Elliott moved that trial contract
be given the crematOry company for 80
days to see how it worked.
ter ought to be disposed of at once and
not left to come up again IN four weeks
and he moved as a substitute that the
contract for dispOsing Of night soil, gar
the crematory for two years
This was voted down on roll call: Net
som, Belts Benson, Elliott and CLANCY
voting no.
Councilman Hughes then made the same
motion, substituting so days for two years
and this motion carried
o11eSfiOn m1Ist also he f7is0OSeJ of and
he moved that the city contract be given
specified for period Of two Years @
Mr. CLANCY moved to make the time 60
Drew was instructed to enter into a con-
tract with the company.
This leaves the private individuals free
to make their own contracts with refer
ence to the disposition of their own re-
The dead animal question has been a
sort of bogie to the council for the past
four years, and the members hope it is in
a fair way for settlement now.
TO DODGE THE LICENSE.
DR.. W. L. Burns, who manufac ctures
patent medicines. asked the council for
the privilege of selling his medicine on
the streets without a license and of ap-
pointing three or four agents to Deddle
them Mr.. Blossom moved that the re-
guest be granted That's just the way
I thought it would be when We passed
that license ordinance" said Mr.. Elliott
Il said then that somebody would come
in and want to get around it. I'm opposed
to it, Mr.. Blossoms motion was voted
down and the matter was referred to the
license committee.