New-York tribune., 1907-01-19
PAID UP TOO QUICKLY.
ColoneP Padden Expected Protest,
and No1U He Is Suspicious.

The moral deduction OF the following narrative
concerning the living and doing OF Colonel" NJ
clarence Padden water register Of the County of
New York. is: Don't pay your bill too quickly!
The Higgins estate paid water arrears bill
OF $4,000 SO suddenly that It aroused the sus-
picions Of Colonel Padden. who knows lot
about human nature. having been brought UP
good deal Of the time with the Sullivans in the
Bowery. Its a thing that when man is
dead willing to do thing you'd better look into
It," said Colonel Padden, for just like
not there is something back of It. We're not
used 10 getting checks for dead horse accounts
suddenly We are used TO having them drag
along for weeks and sometimes months; but
what happened in this Higgins case2 Why. we
no sooner sends bill for six years OF
metered water than they sends US a check by
return mail. with line saying that they hope
that everything is now satisfactory. and so
forth.
We'll. $1,000 is quite bunch of money. even
in this Millionaire age but it amt quite satsfac-
tory. This $4,000 covers six years OF water
taken without the knowledge of the city. but
the more 1 think about the matter the more
am convinced that the Higgins people have been
getting water for nearer twenty-six than six
years, and I'm going to put Il up to them 10
pay about $4,000 instead Of what they have
it's like this There's lot of honest men in
the city, and they are all interested these days
In proving 1t. I'm betting that when We run
back the trail We'll stumble right on to an
honest man in charge OF the Higgins estate
and that when he comes to think it over he'll
own up that the city ought 20 have pay for all
the water that went into the old carpet factory
building without being metered. I'm going TO
put II on moral grounds. and see II can't land
Them and II that fails then I'll give them
twist in the courts. I'm dead sure that there
is something back of 1t all, or they wouldn't
have paid their arrearage bill so sudden"
Pending the appeal of Colonel Padden to
the sensbrities of the guardians of the Higgins
estate, brief reference 10 the data on file In
the registers office may be timely. A year ago
Colonel" Padden appointed one Patrick Han
nan deputy chief inspector Of the water reg
ister's bureau.
Pat said the colonel" confdentially. you
know the ropes in this office. you've got an
honest Irish name, and I'm going to make you
deputy chief inspector You look a little bit
sleepy, but expect you to live that down. Get
out and make a record, and don't be slow about
It. A whole LOT depends on you, Pat. Now.
don't forget"
Patrick Hannah went TO work finding things.
Early in June last he took a look around the
old Higgins carpet factory. in Eleventh avenue.
between 4Sd and 44th streets. In few days in
went an Oflcial report TO 'COIOneI PadQen
saying that Hannah had found an unmetered
water pipe leading from the main into the old
Higgins plant
Typewriter bombshells were exchanged for a
few days between the water registers office and
the plumber in charge OF the Higgins place
The Higgins plumber is T. ]. Ivans, a positive
man.
You fellows haven't any case" said Mr
Ivans, "and 10 prove that I'm right I'll dig a
trench all along the front of the Higgins plot"
More power to you" said Padden and Han
nan Within week Mr.. Ivans had unearthed
not one but six unmetered pipes all leading
into the old factory
On the advice of the Law Department bill
was made out for SIX years OF water from the
seven pipes. They made il six years because
the statute Of limitations is supposed 10 bar
action prior TO that. The bill was sent out last
week. Colonel" Padden expected a tremendous
kick from the lawyers in charge of the Higgins
property. Instead Of protest letter came
with check for the amount demanded
AS told you before" said Colonel" Padden
last night. I'VE got that money so quick that II
excited my suspicious. II wasn't natural
have talked with Corporation Counsel Ellison
about II. and he says that the Higgins people
VIII have 90 prove when they made those con-
nections with our mains Failing in that we
shall contend that the connections were made
when the building was put up. and charge for
the entire period. As the building has been
there about thirty years. IL looks 20 me as II we
had good case But might not have taken
the trai again after getting that $4,000 II they
hadn't paid the bill sudden"