Newport weekly independent., 1903-04-24
EUREKA SPRINGS FEN FETE.
Party Lines Drawn, and a Full Demo
 cratic Ticket Elected.

Springs was en fete yesterday because of the inauguration of a Democratic mayor and full set of Democratic officials, elected last Tuesday.
 For the first time in the history of Eureka Springs, party lines were drawn this year and dire calamity was predict d by the opponents of the ticket in the event of it's success. It was declared that work on certain important improvements would be suspended, and that other projected enterprises would be annulled. But since the election work has every where been resumed, and it is jnow definitely settled that big sanitar um will be built here. This insures an extension of the electric car sys- tenn and an era of prosperity for the city.
 The following officers were elected and installed today: Mayor F. A.. Pickard; treasurer, w. J. Sandford; police judge, Wade H. James; alder men, Nick Kizer, J. P. Jones, R. M. l Warner.
 The contest over their election was the hottest ever known here and the vote the largest in ten years; the town was ransacked for voters and it is not believed that half a dozen es- capped the vigilance of the s'minute men,"
 One campaign banner bore the legend, "Vote for F. A. Pickard; he went to jail for the people," which recalled the fact that in April, 1899, F. A. Pickard, then serving former term as mayor, went to jail along with other officials for contempt in diso- beying an injunction of the circuit court.
 Years ago, when the first excite ment made this a camping spot for 10000 people, living in tents, and when the primitive basin and homely gourd slaked the thirst of the visitor in 1881-the city granted to some St. Louis parties the right to lay pipe to conduct the waste water from the Basin spring to the Basin spring bath house; in 1892 the city cut off this water, but the bath house people went into the courts and secured a perpetual injunction, forbidding the city from interfering with the bath house's pipes or supply of water. In April, 1898, the supply of water at the Basin spring (the principal one in the city) became alarmingly low, and suggested the suspicion that the bath house people, instead of getting the waste water, were getting the main supply. Mayor Pickard then shut off the water, put an immense paddock on the valve and set the town marshal to mind it. Arrests followed. The courts instructions to the sheriff were to attach the defendants, admitting them to bail only upon the condition that they obey the courts mandates, one of which was to turn on the water and let it remain on.
 Mayor Pickard declared that while he had submitted to arrest, he would obey the court no further; that he would neither give bail nor turn on the water; that if the plaintiffs se- cured water they would have to force his big paddock and his husky guard. He declared that he had been forced to take the step on the ground of public welfare, and that rather than surrender the public's interests he would lay in jail all summer.
 The next morning a tallyho, drawn by six white horses, was secured and the prisoners, accompanied by party of twenty friends, each carrying flags, started for the coun.y jail at Berry vile, twenty miles over the noun tains. At the outskirts of the county seat they were met by band and an immense crowd of the villagers. When they reached the jail the jailer refused to receive them, because the judge had failed to include a writ of commitment. The ovation continued throughout the afternoon and until ] the court supplied the missing writ.
 After seven days incarceration the orders of the court were so modified as to permit the release of the prison CTS, without any recession from their first position; and in the final ad- judication of the matter, the bath house people lost out, while the city gained complete control of all the water, thus vindicating the mayors firmness and open defiance of the court.
 The important issue in the election just passed was the busting of six Republican water and sewer com missioners, of whom Gen. Powel I ClaytOn was one and the maioritv o-