The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-08-30
CITY COUNCIL

A speoisl meeting Of the City Conn
oil was called Tuesday night 20 receive
a report Of the Street Committee on
general sewerage system, and also 60
act upon petition OF citizens 80 con
neot with private sewerage. Present.
Mayor Willis ;OounoilmenlOole, Wroten,
Bradley, Embrey, Rowe, MoOraokeh'
Hurkamp. Bradford and Chancellor
MIR. Embrey, of Streets. stated that
his committee had only verbal report
to make. That IL was the unanimous
sentiment Of the committee that plans
aud specifications should at once be
made for o sewerage system OF the en-
tire city
The plans and specifications made
three years ago only covered half OF the
city. and 10 would be necessary TO en-
ploy an engineer TO get the other helt :;
that the committee had endeavoTed TO
communicate with the engineer who
did the former work, but had not been
able TO do 80 as yet. He asked that au'
thority be given fhe committee to OBJ
tain said plans and specifications
Mr.. Cole OF she same committee,
agreed with MIR Embrey that whom a
public sewerage Is adopted Is should be
for the whole city.
Mr. McOracken severely criticised
the 80 called" report Of the commit
tee. and said that the real purpose Of
calling the Council in this hot weather
was TO act upon petition OF citizens
TO connect with the private sewer sys
tenn Of which Col Cole was the mana.
ger that the Street Committee had all
the data necessary under the plans and
specifications prepared by the engineer
which cost $500, and for which the city
had not derived one cent benefit as yet
He wanted a written report and a rec.
ommendation from the committee so
that the Council could act initlligently
in the matter. The report, said he, Is
not a report
This excited the ire Of Mr.. Embrey,
who said that his committee WAS pro
ceeding in a business manner, and II
the Light Committee. Of which Capt
MoOracken was chairman. had proceed.
ed In q similar manner we would today
have the new electric light plant which
the Light Committee had been tinker
ing at for three years
Mr.. Dole wanted to be in position 80
when the vote on sewerage was taken
the people should nave all information
as TO cost etc and every Taxpayer
should be equally interested and bene-
fitted.
On motion Of Mr.. Rowe, the commit
tee was authorized 60 employ an engi'
neer 10 obtain plans and specifications
Of the whole city
Mr. Cole handed the Mayor paper
which was given the clerk 90 read. 1t
was o petition from eight oitiz3ns ask.
ing for permission 60 connect with the
private sewer.
''Ah :" said Capt. MoOracken, that
is the object Of the meeting.
When the petition was read another
was given the clerk by the Mayor II
was an application from Messrs. X l..
Biscoe snd ]. d Ray for permission TO
construct ssewer along Commerce street
to deep water beyond the island.
MT MoCracken moved this applioaS
tion as an amendment TO the petition
to connect with the private sewer
Seconded by Mr.. Rowe.
This provoked a lengthy discussion,
in which Mr.. MoOracken said he was
not in favor Of giving the ''sewer
trust" all advantages 20 the exclusion
of other citizens Mr.. Cole went into
a lengthy explanation Of the sewer
trust" II which he was the head. he
said that the company was started not
for making money but for comfort and
sanitary benefits, that up TO the present
time there had not been q dollar OF
profit except that the original members
had gotten their connections without
cost.
Mr.. McOrackeu-"I will be profit
from now on for the other connections.
The vote on the application Of Messrs.
Ray and BiscOe resulted In its defeat,
7 against and for
The application TO connect with the
private sewer was passed unanimously
Mr.. Bradley then offered the follow
ing:
Resolved, That the Street Committee
be instructed 90 constructs at once
sewer along Commerce street, from
Liberty street 60 deep water. according
TO the plans and specifications in the
hands Of the committee, made by Engi-
neer Davis.
Mr.. Bradley said what we wanted
was a starter. If the city would COM
mence this way we would soon have o
sewer system for the city that would
grow until the whole city was severed
that If the plan suggested TO sewer the
whole city az once Is submitted to the
people IL would be lost by q large ma
iority aslthe cost would be over $50, 0OO
Then where will you beY no city sew.
erage and our people in the hands OF
parties owning private sewer mains TO
charge what theyIplesse for connections
Capt. McOracken advocated the PROPOSE
ton, but it was defeated.
On motion OF Mr. Cole, $50 per year
was allowed DR.. J. N. Barney as health
officer of the city.
MIR. Hurkamp presented list of ten
scholars from Mrs. Magrath's School
who reached an average which makes
them eligible to scholarship in the
Fredericksburg College. These were
elected for the coming session. Their
standing in studies was in the follow
ing order, Eiwood J. knight, Esther
Thomas. Sadie Tyler, Renia Owens,
Susie Whitehouse, Mary Lindsay, Grace
Jones, Josie Martin, Archie Ray, and
Edward Strasburger.
The Council then adjourned.
A CHURCH ORGANIZED.