, 1899-12-29
SIGNS MUST co
CITY COUNCIL TABLES PETITION
AND AMENDS THE SIGN
ORDINANCE.

Ordinance Now Permits No Signs to
Extend Across sidewalks or Sign
Posts, But Permits Signs to Pro-
iect Out Three Feet If Eight Feet
Above Grade-Other Matters.
The adjourned meeting of the city
council held last evening was longer
than usual and very little routine bust
ness was transacted. The meeting was
held principally to consider the matter
of the removal of certain signs.
The ordinance passed by the city
council at its regular meeting Deem
Der 9TH called for the removal of all
signs which extended from any build
ing over the sidewalk to a post and al
sign posts or posts except those not
over four and a half feet high and used
as hitching poses; also certain signs
projecting out from a building over a
sidewalk and providing for a fine of
$40 for not removing these signs with
in forty-eight hours after notice was
served.
City Marshal Stirling served notices
on all persons whose signs came with
in the provisions of the ordinance,
there being nearly fifty.
A number at once complied with the
notice, while others held a meeting and
considered the question of fighting the
ordinance in the courts. 1t was decid-
ed to circulate a petition and Mayor
Miller was consulted in regard to sus-
pending the enforcement of the ordin-
ance until a meeting of the city coun-
ell could be held, the petition presented
and the matter discussed and settled.
At the meeting last nig.t Council
man Schwatke was the only n alb
sent. c. E. Carpenter presented a pc
tition signed by a number of business
men, taxpayers and citizens. The fol-
lowing petition was then read to the
council:
PETITION.
Laramie, NyO., Dec. IL, 1879.
To the Hon. Mayor and Council of the
City of Laramie.
We. the undersigned residents, citi-
Zens, merchants and taxpayers of the
City of Laramie. would most respect
fully petition your honorable body for
the repeal of a certain ordinance re-
Gently enacted and passed by the city
council, relating to the removal of
posts and signs erected over and across
the sidewalks of the said city of Lar
annie and your petitioners will every
pray.
The petition was signed by about
ninety names and included some per-
sons who had no signs which were af-
fected by the ordinance.
Mr.. Carpenter then presented his
side Of the case and stated that the or
dinance had been passed before those
affected had become fully acquainted
with its scope and purpose. Laramie
he said, was a small city ye; and these
signs had been here for years and used
for nearly eighteen years and he could
not see why there was any necessity
for legislation to remove them and
and respectfully asked that that part OF
the ordinance be repealed.
Councilman Crumrine replied to Mr.
Carpenter by saying hal he had learn.
ed of the proposed petition and
that he was about to offer an amend.
ment to make the ordinance eve more
strict, and concerning the petition he
said that they were only a very few
signers on that petition outside of those
who had signs and furthermore said
these people must have thought they
had a bad case when they employed
counsel to appear for them. Mr.. Crum,
rine said that it was 40 argument that
because the signs had been here a long
time and for that reason they ought
not to be removed and this reminded
him of the story of the little boy who
when asked what ticket he was going
to vote for, the republican or demo-
c%ratic,' said the democratic" and
when asked why said because his
father had done so.' Mr.. Crumrine
charged Mr.. Carpenter and his clients
with not being progressive and asked
them to stop to think for a moment
and imagine what kind of q town we
would have If everybody would put up
signs and explained the idea in detail,
stating that signs which were there
were tolerated because they were to
few. He said little boys became big
boys and a little city would become a
big city and added hat the best mer-
chants in town did not advertise in
that way, and ended by moving that
the petition be laid on the table.
Councilman Brands seconded the
motion and Mr.. Carpenter then asked
for the privilege of replying to Mr..
Crumrine, which was granted. He call
ed the attention Of the city council