Gilpin observer., 1910-03-24

The Calls recent comment
upon the city treasurers report of
March 31st, 1909, and intimating that
the present administration spent
more money than the preceding Re-
publican administration is not borne
out by the facts, as a comparative
statement will show. Why attempts
are made to mislead the public upon
such an important subject is past
finding out.
The Republicans have not only
spent more money than the present
administration, but the fact also re-
mains that they left nothing to show,
insofar as permanency of improve
ments is concerned.
Every taxpayer is aware of the con-
dition of affairs left by the Guggen-
helm Republicans after driven from
office. This reiteration of economy
is misleading. The money was fritter-
ed away in make-shift betterments,
to be patched and patched until all
semblance of the original has been
lost in the many attempts to make
bad situation better but which only
resulted in crude repairs.
AS an instance in point, the flume
in Eureka gulch, from near McFar
Spring gulch was in such condition
as to receive widespread comment
of an execrating kind. Posts, caps
and plank were rotten from one end
to the other and In many places
caved, making 1t danger. The place
in question was in such condition
the workmen making the improve
ments were in constant fear, that
due to the distractions, they might
be manned in their attempts to make
the flume all it was intended.
Then the flume along Spring gulch
was in such shape, the party of ST.
mon put in braces to keep the sides
from caving, and other fumes of the
city were in like condition, heri-
tage to the Democrats, who changed
all this to something worth while.
AS for the streets, everyone knows
70 what conditions they had fallen.
These, too, were overhauled and made
passable for heavy traffic of the
ore wagon sort. and pedestrians were
not compelled to walk an extra block
or two to find a crossing. No doubt
believing the party would continue
to hold the reins, they merely made
pretenses at betterment, hoping to
continue the policy to the end that
when all was about ruined they would
be enabled to tear out the old and at
vast expenditure replace the worn
out with something expensive and Of
a nature not calculated to result in
any considerable degree of benefit to
the community.
The Republican Guggenheimers alsc
left their mark upon the water works.
To think of it. They spent thousands
of dollars hauling sand from the fam
- -
ment and 24-inch cast iron pipe, these
and other things they thought were
needed were hauled to James Peak,
and, once there, lowered the same
over the cliffs with a cable 1,600 feet
long. Such a piece of folly was due
either to ignorance or a method
adopted for consuming the appropria-
tons as speedily as possible, hoping
for a continuation of the same tactics
to prolong the luting of the treasury.
1t is proven a wagon road could have
been built to quite near the reser-
voir site for less than one-half the
cost of lowering the materials over
the cliff. The road that should have
been built, afterwards became a nee
essity in order to convey the pipes
and the laying of the same from the
reservoir. If this does not cap the
climax of incompetence the hyphenat-
ed journal has not risen to tell the
taxpayers about it. Then, too, had
the road not been built all this mater
ial as well as that previously men.
toned would have had to be lower,
ed over the cliff in the same expen-
sive manner first adopted by the
Guggenheim Republicans.
The same Guggenheim Republican
faction, which is in control of the
party in this city, were responsible
for this condition, and 1t is a mild
expletive to say that they squander-
ed the money of the taxpayers In
hauling sand, cement, 24-inch cast
iron pipe. ETC., to James Peak, and
the resulting work of character toe
crude for commentator.
Another interesting topic upon the
economy principles of the Guggen
helm Republicans is the condition OF
the water works nearer the city. The
four.inch wooden pipe from Eureka
street reservoir to the Wilson ranch
was that rotten in many places evi.
dence was not wanting to show how
1t was caving-in. In others it was
clogged with roots and debris. so that
there was barely enough water com.
ing into the city to supply the needs,
although more than sufficient water
could be gotten in Peck and Miners
gukhes. Then the lines on West High
street, on st. James street, Spring
street and in other sections of the
city were too small and patrons of
the water system in those sections
had to get along with less than they
required due to lack of common
sense shown by former councils in
improving the water system In and
near the city. II all the money ex.
pended in hauling sand from remote
sections, not forgetting the cement,
24.inch cast iron pipe, etc., conveying