Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-03-23

Sseesssseseesseeeeosseeeee,
In Baltimore IL offered the unrivaled
spectacle Of city which. two years ago
devoid Of civic pride. sustained an out
right cash loss Of $46.o00. 900 by iire,
expended upwards Of 100000 In pub
lie improvements without adding one
penny Of tax to the burden already
borne by the citisens! It u 4 record
made possible by the application OF
plain business sense, untainted by poll
tics or partisanship. free from the
slightest suspicion OF graft, ana CO.
operated In by citisenry suddenly Inn
bued with an enthusiastic municipal
patriotism.
While these problems Of broad pub
He concern and importance were being
intelligently solved and expeditiously
executed, lot-owning Baltimoreans
prosecuted with splendid vigor and
wisdom the great task Of rebuilding the
burned district. Quickly the munich
pality adopted 4 modern building code
under which the height Of structures II
limited to ITS feet. Responding nobly
to the new sense Of progress, lot own
err agreed upon building plans which
give many street fronts architectural
symmetry and harmony. The burned
out banks and trust companies agreed
themselves to build low structures Of
simple massive design
- =
Such modern, steel-frame buildings
a. the Continental, Union and Mary
land Trust buildings, ana the Equita-
BILE and Calvert buildings Baltimore's
complement Of skyscrapers - were
found to be structurally sound. They
were quickly repaired.
In every instance OF rebuilding the
lot owner has replaced the structure
destroyed with one more morthy In
every detail than was ita predecessor.
These new buildings exemplify the lat.
est architectural ana structural con-
cepti0ns. and give to the burned dis
trict an appearance Of dignity and ade-
quacy totally lacking before the fire.
hut the chonicle OF Baltimore's new
epoch does not end here. Just when
the city was beginning to see clear
light breaking through the darkness
that followed the catastrophe, Robert
"A. McLane, the young and progressive
mayor. fell victim to an appalling trag-
edy. Baltimore was stunned, but did
not fall, nor lose courage.
sssR -
p. Clay Timanus came to the mayor
atty by right Of succession. He, too,
II q young man, big in frame and broad
Of mind. His faith IN Baltimore Ii in
tense, and he brought to aid him in the
administration Of the office splendid
business qualifications. gained during
career marked only by success.
The old Baltimore had no sewage
system. Backyard cesspools bred dis
case. while kitchen ana bathroom wash
waters stopped across the sidewalks
and down the open cutters and alleys.
Why not build q sewage System? The
park system was seriously In need OF
Improvement. Why not modernize ana
extend It? The municipality owned
water plant was deficient In that the
municipality did not own the source
Of the water supply. the watershed ly-
ing north Of the city. why not buy
that watershed and perfect the water
system? The city was sadly IN need
Of improved streets. her cobbled pave
ments long having been q reproach.
and, likewise, It needed more and
modern schoolhouses. and bigger and
better fire-fighting equipment. why
not provide these essentials? Streets
In the annex. q suburban district
which was taken into the city some
fifteen years ago. existed only on paper.
Why not improve them and open the
entire annexed district to residential
utilization?
These were daring suggestions Bal
timore listened to them with amazed
ears. Whittier was the city being led i?
Mayor Timanus was proposing the ex-
penditure of something like $4,000, 900
by city which had just suffered a fire
loss Of $75,000.00o.
From the wealth OF his business ex-
perience Mayor Timanus answered
each interrogatory. illuminating each
step by the soundest common sense,
The sewage system could and should
be made self supporting by assess
ments against its users. its use to be
made compulsory. and Its construction
should be extended over a period of
ten years, with an annual expediture
limited to $1,000. 900. 90 that the burden
Of It might never be excessive. The
revenues of the water department were
ample to care for the purchase of the
watershed" There could be no ex-
pense to taxpayers in that project.
One million dollars was the sum re.