The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-09
OLD CITY COUNCIL GIVES WAY
TO NEW.
ONLY ONE MEMBER REIlREs
6ennighoff Succeeds Connolly in
First Ward-EngIish Sidewalk
Again Receives Attention. 4.
From Wednesdays l,al1y Gazette.

c1Om $ I1dlly GaZeCto.
The old city council stepped Out
last night and the new stepped IN
Still the change made was not very
great, Alderman Connolly Of the Firs,
ward retiring and giving way to AL
derman Bennighoff, his successor
With this exception the body remain.
ed as it had been for the past year.
About the first business done was
to approve the official bond Of w. B.
Calhoun as chief of police and the
surety bonds Of the Billings & Mus.
selshell and Montana & Wyoming
Telephone companies, and the bond
of Ellen O'Roark, who has been given
charge of the town herd for the sea
son.
Reports of officers were received
land referred to the respective com
pittees. q
The street and sidewalk committee
took another shy at the sidewalk on
the west side of block Z, commonly
known as the English sidewalk and
recommended it's construction. Mr..
English was permitted to address the
council in opposition, but his elo-
quence and reasoning were net suf-
1cient to convince the council and
the recommendation was adopted and
the walk ordered constructed, unani-
mously.
A bill for an ordinance extending
the boundaries of sprinkling district
| No. l was read for the first time.
A number of bills were allowed,
after which the old council adjourned
and gave way to the new.
New Council Organized.
All the members responded to their
names when the roll was called. The
mayor announced the various stand
ing committee, which remain the
same as before except that the name
of Bennighof appears in place of that
of Connolly. 6
Alderman Berky was elected pres
ident of the council in place of Mr..
! Connolly.
The fire department submitted for
confirmation to the respective places
named the following of it's members:
Chief, ]. G. Bond; assistant chief, C.
L.. Sawyer; secretary, Ora ". Mickey;
driver, Willard Baker. All were con
firmed unanimously.
The mayor reappointed E. w.
Keene as street commissioner and
he also was confirmed by the full
vote of the council.
V. J. Salisbury was appointed police
man, and also received the compli-
ment of a unanimous confirmation.
DR.. H. E. Armstrong was appointed
city physician and his appointment
was confirmed without a dissenting
vote.
Frank Mayer and others petitioned
the council to change the fire limits
so as to exclude block 112.
Bennighoff moved, seconded by
Cothron, that the petition be granted.
The roll was called and it was found
that the vote was a tie. BennighOff,
Cothron, Hogue and Thorson voted
aye, while Reynolds. Stoddard, Berky
and White were opposed. The mayor
ended the tie by also voting in the
negative and the petition was not
granted.
Some repairs on sidewalks about thu
CITY were reported by the street COM
missioner as being imperative and
he was instructed to see that they
were made.
Fire Chiefs Report.
Chief Bond submitted his annual
report for the year ending April !.
1t showed the department to have an
active membership of % and an hon
orary membership Of rs. The aver
age attendance at fires during the
year was % active members and 10
honorary. The fires numbered "a
and the total losses footed up only
$50, while the same amount was paid
by the various insurance companies.
The value CT the apparatus. etc
owned by the department is inventor
led at $4,777.
The chief recommends the purchase
of a modern hook and ladder truck,
the old one having outlived it's use
fulness. 1t was bought in 1886 and
while originally intended to be drawn
by hand has been converted SO that it
may be drawn by horses. The chief
says it is dangerous and unsafe for
horses. He also advises the pur-
chase of a new set of harness for
delivery no later than August 81,
1902. Further recommendation is
made that the council buy 1000 feet