Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-07-15

equaling the original purchase price,
and the city plant is las good as new"
Hereafter when the current expenses
and repairs have been taken care Of
and a proper sum charged off for in
tereSt and depreciation the patrons Of
the Monroe light and water plants will
be given the benefit in reduced rates,
that being the announced policy of the
municipal ownership mayor.
In the matter of Il school building
100000 was voted by the city, but was
found by the mayor to be far too small.
BY borrowing from the general fund
and executing various financial turns
the present school building was erected
at Il cost of $4,000. 1t is maintained
at an expenditure of $4,000 yearly.
and any child in Monroe or Ouachita
county or the state of Louisiana can
attend free.
These departures from the accepted
way of doing things at Monroe caused
much comment and some opposition,
but that was rs nothing compared to
the storm aroused when. in 1903. May
or forSythc announced his scheme for
II municipal railway. There was 10
provision in the city's charter which
would permit such move, but this did
not daunt the mayor ana his followers.
They took the matter up ut the sos
sion Of the Louisiana legislature for
1904 ANA had their charter amended.
Private corporate interests which had
an eye on the street railway franchise
now aWOkc TO the knowledge that For
sytlic'S talk of Il municipal railway
was something more than bluff, and
they began to fight him. Their chief
objection to the movement was the
alleged fear of n corrupt ring" which
they professed to believe would domi-
nate politics once the city became en-
gagged in the operation of the various
utilities.
But the municipal ownership cham
pions won out. In addition to the orig
/ inal bond issue, Il special tax of >
mills for ten years was levied for
public improvements. This income was
to be devoted to building Il city hall, Il
city prison, a city market and street
railway.
In order to realize upon the tax thus
voted, Mayor Forsythe conceived the
idea of issuing what lie has called Ger
tificateS of payment bonds In every
thing except name-predicated upon the
ten year tax and other funds. He
met with fierce opposition in this
move, for the local System" carried on
campaign against the legality of tho
Certificates of payment and came
near frightening the money markets
, into turning them down.
Finally. after the construction Of the
street railway had been delayed more
than a year, the citys paper was ne
gotiatel, and work on what was dcs-
tined to be the first municipal railway
III America was taken up.
lii connection with the municipal
street railway the city has expended
over $4,000 in the acquisition of a
park fair and amusement grounds two
miles above the city on the Ouachta
river. to which the car line extends
1t IS known as Forsythc park. There
are over 100 acres in the tract.
/ 1t is an ideally beautiful site, but
what nature has denied is being sup
I piled by art. over 900 trees Of many
varieties have been planted. The park
fronts on an artificial lake.
! On an island in the lake a pavilion or
! summer theater has been built. Il bridge
! leading to it from the mainland 1t Is
octagonal in shape and a very pretty
+ structure, with seating capacity Of
LOO. The stage settings are hand
some. The drop curtain is Il painting
from a local scene-a lane about a mile
long just below Monroe. the posts of
the fence OH either side being growing
cataipa trees
On the fair grounds, which have been
/ inclosed, standard half mile, eighty
! foot wide race track, Il grand stand
! with seating capacity of 1000, mod
! ern stables and other conveniences are
constructed The track has perfect
{ drainage. and races can be run in two
/ or three hours after Il hard rain. \
municipal baseball park Is Il feature
Property values have increased three
fold since this undermining process be
gan. Assessed valuation 1898, $1.100.-
| 900; in 1906, $3,700O0O.