Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-27
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
Reward of $lO to First Person Report
 ina Typhoid Near Watershed.

"~@ W@S 0 ~@ Y4~ s~ V S& SS . va S~@A @AW ksVA
 ing Typhoid Near Watershed.
 The board of public works met yes
 terday afternoon, there being present
 Commissioners Jackson, Wade,
 Brown, Holmes, Assistant City Clerk
 Francis T. Reeves, Engineer Cairns
 and Superintendent Johnson of the
 water department. MT Brown was
 appointed chairman pro tenn.
 A lengthy communication, submit
 ted by Engineer Cairns, relative to
 house to house canvasses along the
 water sheds of the Branch water
 was read and adopted. It provides
 a rigorous inspection of every stream,
 house, barn, closet and other probable
 sources of contamdn ation, recommends
 a $1O reward to the first person not
 an employe of the city who reports a
 case of typhoid or other intestinal dis
 ease near the water shed and makes
 provision ito have physicians noufy
 the city of any serious sickness that
 comes to their notice among people
 living at or near the tributaries or the
 Branch. It also states very plainly
 that no expense shall be spared to
 make the investigation thorough. IT
 the aldermen approve this action the
 order will go into effect without fur
 ther delay.
 Sheriff Rigney complained of lack of help to enforce the order of the
 board regarding overcrowding the City hall He also stated that he was Of the opinion that the fire es- capes were nothing short of death traps. They are old and rusty and would 90 to pieces in case crowd should rush out upon them. MT Cairns remarked that this was a silly way of preventing too many from getting into the hall. He believed that the proper thing to do was to mo- tify the management and If they didrs't abide by the action taken, shut off the lights once and you wouldnt have to do it any more. This would save the expense of three or four po- lice officers. Mayor Elton and Com missioner Goss are teh committee on City hall affairs. but as neither gen. tlemen was present nothing was done in the premises.
 Commissioners Wade and Jackson, the committee appointed to invesu- gate relative to rebates for lights out, reported that the report covering this matter. prepared under the direction of a committee fom the old board, was now in the hands of ex-Mayor kllduff and that they had written him for 1t. If this cannot be found a new report will have to be made before the board will be in a position to state how much the rebates claimed will amount to. MT Wade criticized the old board for the way it handled this matter, stating that they were remiss in not collecting the rebates from month to month instead of letting 1t run to the end of the contract. MT Holmes thought that the least they ought to have in support of their con- tention was report of the number of lights out and what tley claimed was due the city from the company. Mir Jackson said that from what the had been able to find out the rebates claimed amount 10 about $1 500, but owing to the absence of the report on this matter the commit tee could not be very positive about any thing. MT Jackson also added that the city attorney had advised the committee that the rebates can be collected whether the company bad proper protection or not. It was f- nally voted to pay the bill withheld, with the understanding that such ac- tion. shall not in any way prejudice l the citys claim against the trolley 1 company for lights out, ahd continued ! the committee.
 Superintendent Johnson of the water \ submitted a report show ! ing the work of the men engaged in 1 the house to house can vass for leaking faucets and closets: ! Up to Monday night 9.525 houses had been visited. In these places l,O1I closets and 6S3 faucets were founo | out of repair, some of them running l at full force. MT Johnson also re- 1 ported that some of the places where | antilles reported a lack of pressure ! have an abundance Of water now ana the canvassers found leaking closets in their houses. The East mountain ! supply has been turned on in the east arn and southern parts of the city. and no doubt this helps. While the eaks are being discovered and re- paired, 1t does not seem to lessen the mount of water registerel as leaving he reservoir, over S,OOO,0O0 gallons being registered in the last forty aieht hours. the largest ill any day dur Ing the winter. The report was ac- cepted and, the Super1ntcnuent dlrecl' sd to continue the work.
 The clerk stated that the only ap- oIication for keeper of the town clock was from Herman Herfnger, where lpon MT Brown remarked that if the Jerk didn't have one from George strobel the mayor had. MT Wade said that if there was going to be change he should be very willing to MT Heringer for the place. ou+ added that he didn't believe in hanging old employees Of the city pro- 7ided their work was satisfactory and 'or this reason he believed it would ,e we'll to let MT Strobel continue. He suggested that action be deferred un- il the mayor returned and 1t went at hat. The funny part about the whole matter is that Frank F. Becton S keeper of the town clock, not MT Strobel
 It was voted to recommend to the aldermen that the application of John Oefararf for a renewal of his license o maintain B bootblack chair oppo- ite Exchange place be granted, sub-
 !