The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-03
BESSEMER NEWS

Bessemer, March 2.-(Special. )-The Bes- semer city council met in regular session tonight in the council chamber and was Nailed to order at o'clock by President Geofge Ross After the reading of the minutes, the report of the city health of ficer, pr. M. c. Ragsdale, for the year beginning January 1, 1914, and ending De- cember 3l, was read and received as in formation. It showed that during the year, there had been IA white births and s4 white deaths; there were 126 colored births and 194 colored deaths. Estimat- ing the population of the city to be, white, 5l39, colored 7701 making total of 12S46; the above figures give birth rate of 21 per thousand of population and a death rate of % per thousand. During the year deaths were reported from diseases as follows: tuberculosis 30; meningetis, 20; typhoid fever. F; pneumonia, 40; pei lagra, 6; Brlghts disease II; organic heart disease, 16; all other cases 142.
 The special committee which was ap- pointed to stop work on the proposed | viaduct of the Alabama Great Southern Qailroad reported that work would be stopped when 1t wassnecessary.
 A recommendation from the mayor was read in which he stated he would take off four sanitary wagons, which would making a saving of s1690 per year for the city and let the city prisoners take one day a week for the purpose of cleaning up the city.
 W. M. Doyle petitioned the council to revoke the license of a negro woman who lives on Hall avenue and claims to be a divine healer, stating that from early morn to late at night there were crowds of both white and black gathered there to be "hoodooed' Several of the aldermen made talks on the subject and 1t was decided that the license be re- voked and the woman ordered to leave town
 Several bids from the undertakers of the city for the burial of the paupers were opened and the contract was awarded to Kennedy Brothers, the lowest bidder
 Alderman Deason moved that the city clerk be authorized to secure bids on s30,- GOO school bond issue the sale of which would enable the city to raise the mort gage on the Jonesboro school which is held by Rogers and Coston The clerk will report at the first meeting in April.
 An ordinance entitled an ordinance to amend an ordinance to prescribe and fix lfncense for trades business, etc, reduce ing the license of ice dealers from s10 to 36 per year was read and received as in- formation. No further business, the meeting adjourned.
 In the Ressemer city court today a yer sdict was returned for the defendant com pany in the case of l.. A. Estes versus the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company. This afternoon the court was taken up with the the hearing of the case of Daisy Lipscomb versus the Bir- mingham Raih.ay Light and Power company. The plaintiff Was represented by Goodwin & Ross. While Hugh Nor row of Birmingham represented the de- fendant company.
 In the case of Mrs. NJ. E. Irwin. admin istratrix, versus the Southern Railway company, a consent judgement in the amount of $225 was returned In the case of H. Blackstock versus the Seaboard Air Line Railway company, a consent judgement for $50 was reached.
 The store of c. T. Cooke. on Tenth avenue and Nineteenth street was en- tered last night by thieves and large