The news & observer., 1905-12-03
A GENTLE MEETING
The Aldermen Discuss
Plans for Clean City.
A Few Reports Read and a Generally
Happy Time Had by City Dads
and the Visitors Who We're
FreseEt.

There wag nary o clash, and at one
time the meeting could not have been
equalled by the Civic Department OF
the Womans Club as cleanliness of
the Citys streets was discussed.
Another enjoyable thing was the
informality about the meeting last
night, almost every body in the hall
taking part and making suggestions
about various matters. Sanitary Of
ficer T. 2. Sale leaned against the door
frame leading to the little room where
in is a water bucket and pictures of
rogues of by-gone days. Chief of Po-
ice Mullins kept back of his desk and
regarded the proceedings placidly. City
Clerk Wilson was at his post. City
Attorney Snow was close to him,
street Commissioner Blake occupied
! seat on the front row with the
aldermen. while just beyond the rail
ing that hedged off officialdom from
he citizen was Mr.. Perrin Busbce who
'amblCd around till he was called on
tor q speech Alderman Upchurch
ried the door way opposite Mr. Sale
md was so lost in thought that Mayor
Johnson had to hail him thrice to get
news of the Committee on Light. All
these and others took part in the con-
fab. not forgetting two reporters who
were delighted at the snort meeting
A few minutes after eight the arri-
val of three belated aldermen made
five present these being Messrs.
Rogers, Cooper. Jackson Grimes and
Lee, and Mayor Johnson raped the
conclavc to order. A little after AL
1erman Upchurch, wearing the latest
design i'm light co.ored overcoats,
drifted in and made six City Dads
who were present to do things, all
Of whom were evidently still under the
effects of the good FEELING of Thanks
giving
The report of the Street Committee.
written by Street Commissioner Blake,
was read, and this told of work done
IN the streets and in particular the
building of the viaduct on Saunders
rtreet. and the attention necessary to
be given the grading there. Mr.. Blake
later made 81 request that he be al
lowed an assistant for about three
days, this assistant 20 be a civil en-
gineer, as boys playing on Saunders
street knocked down tho stakes show
ing the grade, and he could not be
with the city'a hands and the contrac-
tors hands at the <ame time. Mr..
Blake stated an assistant would cost
$500 a day or if ne was union
man $1,000 a day. He was given au-
thority to employ man, but no rate
was fixed.
The police report next occupied the
attention of the board. City Clerk
Wilson reading the list in his deep
tones with dramatic effe"' This
howed that there were 101 arrests
in November. 81 white and 40 col
orcd; SIS white males and females.
33 colored males and Z females. OF
the arrests 48 were Tor different stages
of drunkenness.
The report to the Fire. Committee
by Fire Chief Mangum called atten
ton to the need of extending the Fire
District and this WAS referred to the
committee. The report also stated
that during the month thirteen build
ing permits were issued. AS inspector
under the provisions of the fire waste
bill. Chief Mangum issued twenty-one
complaints and during the month four
teen fire alarms were turned in, two
Of which were false
City Physician Hines report was a
brief one. 1t stated that he had
made 80 visits and had written So
prescriptions at the medical diSpen-
sary and had sent one patient to
Rex Hospital. Here Mayor Johnson
asked for the repart from Rex Hos
pitaI for November. There is no re-
port from Rex Hospital" said City
Clerk Wilson. WAS there one last
Wilson Investigated and found that
there was. Then it was some other
month that Rex Hospital failed to send
i'm it's report" said the mayor.
There was some expectation that
the report of the investigation of the
dispensary would be made, but there
was none. Mayor Johnson, of the
committee. asking for more time to
properly formulate this The time was
oil Io al nf 4
Commissioners also went over to an
other meeting.
Mr. Perrin Busbee was here invited
to address the aldermen, and he did
so as trustee with reference to get
ting a rebate on taxes due since 1881
on the Jordan property on Hargett
street sold the township school COM
mittee. The price at which the place
was sold was $3,512 and by the last
assessment the place was valued at
.$4,5O0. After discussing how to do
it, i'm the giving of rebate. the dis
position of the case was left to the
Finance Committee
Then began the discussion on civic
cleanliness and the enforcement of
sundry laws now sleeping in "innoc-
uous desuetude," this being opened by
Alderman Jackson. who arose to in
ouire about the enforcement of the
"street splitting ordinance" He
told Of signs of its violation he had
seen. and Alderman Upchurch agreed
that it ought to be stopped alluding
particularly to the corner by Mayor
Johnson's drug store as place of
much splitting Mayor johnson said
that there was trouble with the grease
on the curves of the city railway
tracks and that this getting on la
dies skirts and shoes was dragged
into church and spread on fine car
pets. Here some alderman suggested
II might do to pass an ordinance re-
uuiring the ladies TO wear shorter
e'kjrts or to walk around the curves.
Various aldermen talked of old boxes.
of paper. of peanut shells and much
trash on the street on sunday morn
inp ING while Sanitary Inspector Sale
said that early Sunday morning his
street cleaning force cleaned up the
streets. Mayor Johnson said the pri-
vate househoIders and business men
ougbt 10 have the sidewalks kept neat
and clean about their places, and to-
eae that This was done certainly each
Sat,,rdav AFTERNOON. Alderman Grimes
called attention to the need of the
ing the hitching of horses left on the
street and Alderman Lee said he