The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-01-17
PRESTON QUITS.
Tenders His Resignation as City
Solicitor.


ing. Miller and Lafollett of the First
and Brewer of the Third and Cole of
the Fifth were absent. There we're
just enough present for a working
quorum.
A bomb shell Was dropped into the
council when City Solicitor Byron
Preston arose to his feet and rendered
the council his resignation to take
effect February 1, 1901. The gentle
man stated that he had been consid.
ering the step for the past six
months but there has not before been
time when he could be released
from the place as he can now. There
had been the pavement question, then
the water works problem and on its
heels came the electric light and
street car franchises. Now there
was lull and it gave him the oppor-
tunity he sought. The reasons given
for resigning are that the time and
work required of the city solicitor
greatly interferes with the gentle
mans other legal practice. Only last
evening there would have been
night session of the district court had
the gentleman not been in attendance
at the council. The court has en-
quired which was the more important
the district court or the city council.
The attending to the city business
has been attended by loss to the
gentleman in other directions. Should
he slight the city business there
would be complaints from the public
and the best and only way out of the
difficulty was in resignation.
There are some cases coming up in
the court for hearing in the near
future. These had been prepared
ready for trial and Mr.. Preston will
remain in his position until February
first or after the trial of the cases.
The matter of the gentleman's re-
signation was discussed pro and con.
Members of the council insisted upon
his staying the small term of his
Office that now remains but Mr.. Pres
tan insisted that it would be impos-
sible. There was a motion and
second that the resignation be &C.
cepted and the same was carried
There being less than sixty days of
the unexpired term it devolves upon
the council to appoint the gentle
mans successor to complete the two
months remaining before the seating
of the newly elected officers in the
spring.
The clerk read the minutes of sew
eral of the preceding meetings and
then the list of monthly claims was
read and allowed and the usual
amount of the city funds were dis
bursed.
To Assist Assessor.
L. P. Stanton and Will Baugh were
appointed by the city to assist City
Assessor John Perry in the listing of
the town property.
The annual report of the library
committee was read and placed on
file.
The monthly reports of the several
city officers were received, read and
filed.
Chas. Phelps appeared before the
council and asked thath he be granted
permission by the city council for
three feet space in the alley west of
his new building for coal and ashes
chutes. AS in cases where exterior
stairwa, are permitted to be placed
in the alleys the council did not grant
permission but there will be no action
taken against the placing of the de-
sired convenience.
The Fire Department.
There was some discussions as to
the reasons for the shortage in sup
plies in the fire department. There
were no chemicals on hand for the
chemical tanks, there were no coup
Iings for the mending of the hose
and 900 feet of hose was lying useless
on account of the neglect, and there
were other things needfGl for the de-
partment. The chief of the depart
ment has reported the condition of
affairs to the fire committee, but the
department fails to get the things de-
sired. The mayor was ordered by
vote of the council to order the things
needed for the equipping of the de-
partment.
The mayor brought up the question
of reducing the license for acution-
GERS, stating that man desired to
locate permanently in the city and run
an auction store on High avenue
west If he could make some arrange
ment with the city council whereby
the license for auctioneer could be
reduced. 1t was the opinion of mem
bers of the council that the rate
charged was too low. The license
should be s25 in place of S. per day
and the matter was there dropped.
There was some talk about drain
age, catch basins, crossings and the
like, and the business to be brought
up was not nearly finished when q
motion to adjourn prevailed, and the
meeting came to an end after ii o.
clock.
Iowa Conference.
Mt. Pleasant, Jan. 15.-The Meth
odists of the Iowa conference are
taking active steps to raise their