The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-05-31
WARM COUNCIL MEETING.
NEW SEWER SYSTEM FLOATS ON
TURBULENT SEAS.
CLAIMS AND couNTERcLAlMs
Contractor Herrck and the City Ad.
ministration Each Had Trump Cards
and the Game Resulted In a Draw.
The "Rubber" Tonight.
tFrom Wednesdays Dailv.i

The Rubber" Tonight.
[From Wednesdays Dailvl
The new sewer system floated on
turbulent seas at the council meet
ing last night, the special meeting of
the council at the city hall having
been called for the purpose OF pass
ing on the acceptance of the new sys-
TEN completed last week by Contract
or O. p. Herrick of Des Moines Iowa.
The acceptance of the system was
finally passed over to second meet
ing OF the council tonight, the compli-
cations arising last evening defying
any hurried adjustment. About the
satisfactory condition OF the sewer
system itself there was no dispute
last night. Engineer Salmen's esu'
mates placing the cost of the system
at $32,57O.OS was also accepted as cor
rect by both Contractor Herrick and
the city council. Here agreement de-
parted and claim and counter claim
entered
All Had Trumps to Play.
Both council and contractor came
to the meeting last night with several
cards up their sleeves. Though the
evening opened quietly enough both
Contractor Herrick and the council
knew that several tricks stood to be
taken by some one.
The council had tested the three
miles of sewer mains the day before
and found the system in working or
der. There was no dispute over this
The city engineer said that the sys-
tenn as completed had been built in
accordance with the contract. Both
sides passed
Cost of Sewer.
Engineer Salmen reported the cost
of the sewer system to be $3257O.OS.
OF this amount Herrick had been paid
$24 .G9G.73. Some $44 had been held
back by the old council. Another sum,
$1,62795, represented five per cent
of the cost to be retained by the city
for year after acceptance. bal
F., ance of $6,170.07 was owing the con
tractor according to the engineers
figures Out of this was of course to
come the $4,000 offered by the con
tractor as his share of the $4,000 dis
- count involved in the sale of the
u sewer bond issue. These figures were
accepted.
' Controversy Begins.
y Action opened when cOuncilmen
=. suggested that money be retained to
> cover the city's outlay in raising the
water mains where the water pipes
: had disputed progress with the sewer
. mains. Contractor Herricl said the
-, cost was none of his. Others said that
- the expense amounting to about $500
= would fall on the contractor. The con
u tract was read and two interpreta
u tons flourished.
- Constable Appears.
- A diversion was created by the ap
:. pearance of a local constable to serve
-, notice on Contractor Herrick on g
:. damage suit instituted in a local jus
tice court by First street property
" owner. Councilmen said money ought
a to be reserved from the sewer pay
e ment to cover any favorable verdict
that might be secured by damage
v suits against the sewer contractor.
"a Herrick Has Card.
|, Contractor Herrick, thinking 1t his
!. turn for a trick, dropped on the coun
Gil table a bill for $502.90 represent
n ing an additional claim for sewer con
!, struction. Engineer Salmen declared
"a the items represented to be covered
n in the contract and not owing by the
ID city.
r, A Big Water Bill.
!, Next fluttered forth a water bill
8 against Contractor Herrick, Watel
"a Commissioner Brummund presentin,
I'd the Iowa contractor with a bill fo
S567S2 for city water used in flushing
the sewer and in settling the trenches
The water commissioner explained tina
he was in the water business for tn,
city, that the sewer people had aske,
. him for water and had been told tina
. he had it to sell, that he sold it t,
70 them at fifteen cents a thousand, tina
. they used wonderful amounts of tn
fifteen cent fluid, requiring the con
u slant eXertion of Gust Graul at tn
~ pumping station and the use of mucl
70 coal, and finally that the water bill
. was going to be collected because hi
OihNC was SINCll W COlltClluS DlllS uu
y the city. Contractor Herrick took in
IS formal oath that the water bill agains
!" him violated every sacred tradition
III maintained in contractorville.
Herrick Back at EN-.
S After the contractor had recupera
X cod from the water bill he entered tn
y game again with the remark that h
&c had about 500 in accrued bond intel
est owing him from the city and tina
lg he expected to get it, The counc
in said they were asked to pay accrue
he interest to Splitter & Co., the bon
Sc firm, and to the contractor at the sam
re time and on the same bonds.
Dig Up Ancient History.
OF The sewer dispute was then carrie
e. back into ancient history. Delvin