The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-30
HALF MILE AWAY
New Crematory Must Not Be Near the
Kansas River.

At last the board of health and
health sanitation committee have done
something in regard to the disposition
of the city's garbage. They have SUD
| mitted to w. l.. Osborn of the Iopeka
/ deSiccating company, a proposition TOT
| the construction of crematory, whlch
if accepted by Mr.. Osborn, VIII prop
ably solve the garbage and dead am
NAL question for Topeka.
! The proposition submitted by the
board was drawn UP in executive ses-
sion Thursday night, and is in the
form of certain amendments to a pro-
posed franchise submitted by Mr.. Os-
born.
The board offers to recommend that
a franchise for 20 years be granted
to Mr.. Osborn provided he Will erect
/ a crematory at least one-half mile
| from the river. He will be allowed 10
| charge 1919 cents a cubic foot for
hauling and burning nightsoil, which
| is an increase of , Il cents foot over
existing prices. Mr.. osborn wanted
| the city to pay him 500 a month for
removing manure from city sta bleS ana
burning unclaimed dead animals, but
the board refused to pay any more
than it is ow paying, which IS 500
month. The charge of 81 load Tor
hauling away manure which the Us
born company desired to put into eff
feet, was also cut to SO cents, the
present rate. For burning dogs ana
cats the city offers to pay 10 cents,
instead of rs cents, and for burning
garbage, 5 cents a cubic foot instead
of 25 cents a barrel.
These various stipulations of the
board will be formally presented to
Mr. Osborn today, and he will then
decide whether or not he wants to
take the franchise as offered.
This morning Mr.. Osborn said: 1.-THE
board has not sent its papers to me
yet, and l do not know exactly what
they want. 1 cannot say what We
will do until I see exactly what he
board wants"
Mr. Osborn stated to the board
Thursday night that he was willing to
locate the proposed crematory as far
from the river as desired but that if
he did so, he would want the city to
donate him a site. I'VE already own
a site down on the river which cost
us $1,000, and we can't afford to let
that go and buy another. AS far as
having the river near is concerned,
we had just as soon be a mile from
the river as not
II don't doubt said Councilman
Ryder, that We can trust Mr.. Osborn
to burn up all the stuff and not pipe it
into the river, but I believe the public
will be better satisfied if the plant is
removed from the river. Then there
will be suspicion that the refuse is be-
ing piped into the river as the company
has been doing"
I'VE had permission TIC pipe the stuff
into the river" said John V. Abrahams,
attorney for the company. 1T was dis
t1nctly understood tnat we should be
allowed to do so.''
Il don't agree with you on that" said
Mayor Bergundthal. mo such agree
ment was ever made with the council
''It was an understanding with indi-
vidual members of the council retort
ed Mr.. Abrahams. THE council went
over and looked at our plant before
they accepted it. They saw the pipe
leading to the river, and knew that we
were going to use it,
THAT pipe was not put in until after
the council inspected the plant" said
the mayor.
The fact remains that the company
went ahead and piped its refuse into
the river and never made any effort, so
far as known, to burn anything except
the dead animals.
Andrew EngIe, of Des Noines, Iowa,
the manufacturer of the Engle furnace
which Mr.. Osborn proposes to install
here, attended the meeting 1azt night,
and explained his process of cremation.
He said:
II will absolutely guarantee that I'M
der my system there is no odor from
the crematory. would like to build
the crematory right next door to your
city hall, where your city officials could
drop in every Is minutes and see that
we were doing things right 1 am will
ing to locate the plant anywhere, l
don't care how far from the river it is.
Some of the members of the board
thought that the company ought to put
up a bond of 5000 for the purpose of
guaranteeing that it could do as it