El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-11
HEARD ABOUT
The CITY HALL


The recent rains have again demon
strated that the city hall roof is leaky.
When the weather is dry there is no
evidence of any defect in the roof but
whenever it rains the ceilings in the
clerk office and council chamber be-
come disfigurec with large damp spots.
There were no electric lights burn
ing on the streets last night" said the
chief of police this morning to a Her.
aid reporter who was making his
rounds. Il understand that the new
company's machinery is out of order
again. Gee whillikinsi but they're
having tough luck.
Last night was the very time that
lights were needed but there were
none. Persons returning home from
church had to founder around in the
mud and darkness to get across the
streets as best they could
The library at the city hall is con-
stantly growing in public favor. 1t is
well patroniZd by visitors and residents
alike and the sunny reading room af-
fords capital place for spending many
leisure hour proftably. The library
is we'll supplied with choice books and
all the late magazines and weekly pa
Ders are to be found on it's tables.
An effort will be made to nave the
library kept open at night. To do this
will require the services of an assiS-
tant librarian. At the present time
there are great many young men in
the city who would be benefited
greatly if the library was kept open
evenings. Those particularly who are
strangers here and have no place to
spend the evenings would welcome a
place to go an hour or so after night
fall. Catalogues of the library are for
sale at the small price of 25 cents.
There is not much going on in my
department just now" said City EEgi-
neer Kimberley this morning. except
that we are still engaged in laying sew
er laterals. The rain and mud of the
past few days put a temporary stop to
our work, but we start out again this
morning. At least a half mile of lat
erals will be laid during the present
month and at the rate new buildings
are going up l am kept pretty busy all
the time. There is hardly ever a coun-
ell meeting but that several petitions
for laterals are presented by persons
who are erecting new residences.
City Assessor Smith has been COM
paratively busy of late receipting for
| taxes, which are coming in slowly.
There is so much mud on the
strets.' said he, that but few people
have yet paid up and only about
| $4,000 has been collected out of the
total assessment of S122.OOO."
Citizens have until March tc come up
and pay their taxes. After that the
penalty of per cent. and SIPS in costs
| is added TO the tax bill.
No poll taxes are being collected this
year. 1t was found impossible to coll
| lect this tax only from property hold
ers, as there is no law in Texas provid-
ing for an enforced collection from
wage earners. and it was decided not
to attempt to collect it
THE city schools continue to -four
ish,' said Prof. Putnam. The total
attendance fer January was 1874 of
| which 7S2 were girls and 1872 were
boys, We manage to find room for and
| take care of all the pulls who have ap-
piled for admission. One reason. how
ever, for this is the fact that there has
been great deal of sickness among
the children this winter Colds pneu-
monia, and grip have been quite pre-
valent. But there has been no scar
let fever nor diphtheria and only one
fatality that / have heard of. the on
ly death was that of young Bishop.
who succembed to pneumonia.
I'VE are unusually anxious just now
10 raise the requisite money to place
flags on all the school houses. as re-
quested by the G.. A. r. post. Poles
and all will cost about $3.50 and Britton
Davis has proposed to be one of the
five persons to contribute that sum
THE colored population of the city
must be increasing at a rapid rate for
there are now "a pupils attending the
Douglas school while there was only
81 last year. OF the ninety-four fifty
are girls