The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-08-15
GRAFTERS REIGN ACROSS
STATELINE; MARKHAM At HEAD
Present Sewer Question in West Hammond Exposes
More of the Shady Deals That Are Common
There


TIL
The board Of public Improvement
of the village of West Hammond let
a contract to Lavene Bros. of this
city on Monday afternoon. August 6,
for a sewer system in the village.
Not a week old, the proceedings
have already been taken to the Cook
county court before Judge Cayan-
augh. where James Healey, bidder
for the contract backed up by several
of the leading men Of West Ham
mond. has started injunction pro-
ceedings against the board of i'm
prevents. which consists of the viii
lage president, Peter Max, Trustee
Frank Green and Trustee John Yarck.
The injunctions were filed Saturday
afternoon and the papers served on
Sunday afternoon with orders to ap-
pear before Judge Cavanaugh yester-
day afternoon.
When it is known that the con-
tract was awarded to Lavene Bros.
for s102,5S0.SS while James Healy,
a Chicago contractor put in bid for
$9S,000 or little more, it is easily
understood why Healy is bringing
injunction proceedings
Just why it is impossible to give
the exact figures that Healy sub
mitted is because that the village at
torney J. w. Markham, carefully
stores away the records of the board
of public works in his private Office
in Chicago.
Cover Flies Off.
The new sewer system including
a sewer pumping station was about
to be floated on the helpless taxpay-
ers OF West Hammond Happily for
them that a quarrel broke out on
top which knocked the cover off so
they can get a glimpse into the abyss
which reeks with graft OF course,
this is not the first time that the
people are making an acquaintance
with Doodle in West Hammond.
One hundred two thousand five
hundred eighty dollars and eighty
eight cents for sewer system that
the majority of the people do not
want, because a pumping station is
,,aoaeSa~x- ic 81 enormous SrD, Of
money for the people of West Ham
mond and means that lineal foot
of sewer of which the laterals are
only fifteen inch-pipes cost $4.3S a
lineal foot, or twice as much as they
cost in Hammond. Ind, where sew
erage conditions are the same as in
West Hammond
The taxpayer in West Hammond
knows the cause why somebody is
trying to make him pay twice as
much.
Markham Is 1T"
Markham. That's the name to
conjure with in West Hammond
Markham is the active principle in
the life of West Hammond. Mark
man is the big toad in the puddle OF
tadpoles. In stature he would hard
ly cast a shadow unless he stood a
long time in one spot. which is not
a habit with him. In age he is
scarcely so years. But he is strong
beyond his size and wise beyond his
years. West Hammond is his pri-
vate preserve. He claims it as q
hunting ground by right of discov-
cry and he has strengthened his
claims by getting something on
those who might otherwise stand il
his way. The village fathers ar,
children in his tiny hands They
dance TO his piping; they sneez,
when he takes snuff
He has a strong hold on them anC
through them on the simple minded
taxpayers. His ramifcations extend
across the state line into Hammond
proper A few persons on this side
Of the divide apparently are alive t.
the "juciness" of the struggling vii
lage over yonder.
AS mentioned above Markham
takes the records of the board of i'm
provements with himself to the city
He has the village president. Pete
Max, and the other two members o
the board under his thumb 4 villag,
ordinance provides that one of tn,
board members act as secretary o
the board. But he doesn't. Mark
man does the work to suit himself
A book could be written on tn,
grating that has been going OF
IN West Hammond during the pas