Hide Article Text (OCR)
5TON GAZETTE, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUAEVALLEY ST. SEWER.LET US POINT TO A REALLYEXPENSIVE JOB.Perpetrated by a Republican Connell In 18 • 4 —80, at a Cost of Nearly 8-»0,-OOO, and Must Now be Rebuilt—TheCrown of Iniquitous Incompetency.It must be generally conceded as fair play to entertain a fool with his own elap-etick. Therefore, since the morning organ’s anti * improvement ink-slinger has commenced slashing around at the public works of the last twelve democratic years, The Gazette will take the liberty of calling the Hawkeye's attention to a single republican job that is probably the most costly monument to ignorance and mismanagement that was ever built in the state of Iowa. Thatomonument is the double barreled Valley street sewer. For ten years democratic city councils have been trying to devise ways and means to rebuild this sewer on a safe and sensible plan.This matter, which wan suggested t I'he Gazette today by a tax-payer and business maD, is a matter that the pub lie will at on«e fully understand without going to the trouble of looking into the 6ewer. The Valley stre.t sewer, from Fifth street to the river, is called “double-barreled’’ because itconsists of two distinct chamois, built• « ' i - • * -of atone, there being a thick, but insecure stone wall between The stone work ofthe side \yalls is very poorly built, and ip many places the waters has undermined and loosened it. It is calculated todrain the largest district of Burface water in the city, besides taking care of the water from the qjd Ilawkeye creek.Originally a republican city council built for it a single channel sewer,which proved to be only half largo enough and wholly inadequate to carry off the water after a heavy rainfall. Several times the whole of the Valley street business district was flooded and much property damaged. Then ttie republican*crowned their folly by mab ing a bad matter worse. Instead of tearing out one side of the «?ewer and building it larger, they wentto work in *b.9 and 18^0 and built an-other pewer of the same eiae alongside of the old one, leaving a division wail in it and mak'mg of it two email sewers. It does not seem, in the light of experience, that men in their sober senses couldhave deliberately and of their own free will perpetrated such a piece of lunacy and expense upon ths people. That double-barreled sewer cost the tax payers of Burlington probably $50,000,And what is tho results Every timethat a heavy rain btorm comet* thegreatest care has to bo exercised to save the Valley street district from inundation because of the danger of gorging at the double mouth west of Fifth street.A couple of years ago a heavy storm brought a large quantity of debris down from Ilawkeye creek and the stuff gorged during the night at the double mouth of this insanely built sewer. Next morniult;i nearly the entire intersection of Valley and Fifth streets dropped out of sight into the sewer. The water having no other way to escape, had cut through under the poorly built foundation walls and the whole thing caved ir. Had the water not escaped that way it would have overflowed at the point of gorging and inundated Valley street and adjacent propsrty.This is the Valley street sewer, built by republican city councils in 1S77, 1870 and 18t$.The rebuilding of this one job of iniquity and incompetency will cost thG tax-payers of Burlington $10,000, all of which could have been saved bv theproper and sensible building of this sewer in 1877,The democratic city council last year, after wrestling with the subject for a long time, finally decided to lay by a certain amount from the sewer fund eachyear until sufficient funds are raised to rebuild the Valley street sewer. The1 i ■present ucpaio condition oi the sewer forms the principal reaeon why Valley street and Fourth street, south and eastof the new postotfice, are not yet permanent ly improved with brick paving.Cheapest ami He*t.The morning organette simply doesnot know what it is talking about when it gabbles about the Ash street viaduct This viaduct is a stone bridge at the intersection of Ninth and Ash street just below the crest of the Hinson’s hill road, lyhicb is one ofthe principal country roads entering the city♦The viaduct was an absolute necessity. Property owners on Ash demanded theestablishment of a grade of that street,and when the city came to estimate the cost of makirg a grade to meet the grade of Ninth street it was found that an expensive cut would be necessary, not only costing a large sum for removal of the dirt but would also injure certain adjacent property. The matter was figured and weighed carefully and it was found tkai g small viaduct could be built at a co«t Ris tban that of cutting the Ash street grade down to the Ninth street intersection. Any one who will visit thespot can kea h,?w wise the improvement is and how foolish is the Hawkeye's campaign twaddle about it. The files o*the Hgwkeye do notshow that it said a word egainet the improvement at the time it was ordered and made, {t is strange that a journal claiming to be decent and intelligent will let such monumental assininity creep into its columns, particularly at a time when everybody can tee that it is campaign buncombe without ever going to look at the improvement in question.A Street Improved Without Cost.U is a well known fact that the Osborn improvement and the paving to Aspen Grove cemetry was not advocated or supported by any class of citizens or political party. It was demanded by all classes and partjes alike. The democratic council brought” this improvement about, and today funeral processions do not stick in the mud and theThe making of Brooks street did not cost the city a cent. It was transformed from an impassible ravine in the heart of the residence portion of North hill to a pleasant accessible street simply by being made a dumping ground for tbe dirt that was taken from Osborn street.Had the city not put this dirt into Brooks street, which is the street nearest to Osborn, the dirt would have been necessarily peddled about the city. Thus the making of Brooks street was a saving of actual cash outlay instead of an expense to the city. If any tax payer does not fully understand this and cares to take the trouble to convince himself let him visit tbis much misrepresented Brooks street and see for himself. Itwill make him a voter of the straight democratic city ticket.Why borrow trouble in the kitchensDr. Price’s Baking Powder is a barrier to care.NOVEL VS. DRAMA.I*rof. simontls Says the Ascendancyof One Depresses the Other.The fourth in the ser»es of lectures on English Fmtlon, “The Rise of the Novel,” was delivered by Prof. Simonds last evening to a large audience at the Congregational church.Discussing the relationship of tha drama to the romances at the Court ofElizabeth Prof. Simonds said a high standard of evcejlenca existing in the drama alwajs accompanied a decay in the romance, and vice versa.“The 17th century was another one ofthoee periodsof barreness and dearth iuEnglish literature” said the speaker entering upon tho subject of the evening; “and was only relieved by the dawn of the 18th century.” The appearance of Bunyan’s Pilgrims progress instituted a marked change in the tone and character of English literature. It ushered into the literary world an intense degree of realism—wholly unknown and formerly tabooed. This famous work, published in 1G78, bore a close relationship to the popular fiction of the time and infiuenqed to a large degree the writers of the next century. Joseph Addison won a signal achievement in the introduction of his famous Sir Roger de Coverly in 1711.4 real forerunner of tj?.e novelets of alater day was Daniel Defoe, the author of “Robinson Crusoe,” published in 1719. Defoe was the son of a tradesman andwas fitted by nature and helped by accident to introduce the novel. He was a wonderful student of human nature;some even claiming that he surpassedShakespeare in his portrayal of mon and character. Despite his handsome income iu later years he was constantlyin debt and was somelimes thrown intofor certainrash statements He became inter-prisonemanating from him. ested in politics and became famous as a newspaper publisher and pamphleteer. Defoe had the rare ability to so prepare his fiction that it seemed a reality; being generally behoved at the time of its appearance; and somewhere make3 the statement that if ore must tell a lie itought to be told in such a way that thehearer will believe it. To tho unusuallyrealietic character of his writings is duetheir phenomenal success and popularity.Hamuel Richardson wrote what many people call the first great work of English fiction, “Pamela,” in response to the demand upon him for his services in writing and answering love letters for his young friends. He possessed a re markable power as a story teller. “Clarissa Harlowe” followed in 1713. Henry-Fielding appeared as a meteor on the literary horizon in 1712 in “Joseph Andrews;’’and in u-k(J“Tom Jones.” In com,paring the merit of Feilding and Richardson thepalm must readily goto Fielding. Ab arliata there is in fact very little comparison. R chardson surpassed in motive and Fielding excelled in his art—the construction of his story. A great deal of an objectionable character appeared in Fielding’s works consisting to a degree, of coarseness of purpose—although natural. Tobias Smollett and Laurence Stone added largoly to the literary gems of fiction between 1713 and1771. “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy Gentleman’’ was one of the masterpieces of the period. Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim belong to the great character portraits in our gallery ofEnglish fictionThe Vicar of Wakefield, published in 17(31 by Oliver Goldsmith, is significantof a new stage in the history of the English novel, being, as Craik calls it, “our first genuine novel of English home life.” The appearanco of this work marks a new era in English etory-tell ing; that of purity and loveliness; these qualities of virtue pervading as they did the Vicar of WTakefield.. —On next Monday evening ProSimonds will enlarge upon the subjocand discuss the Perfection of thNovel.”COLUMBIA AGENCY.Secured by Mr. .Julius Pauly—Model has Arrived.Patrons of high grade wheels will t glad to learn that Mr. Julius Puly ha secured the local agency for the cellbrated Columbia bicycle. The new ’fl model has arrived and is on exhibitioat the Pauly bouse office. Mr. Pauly e; tends a cordial invitation to patrons an admirers oi the steel steed to call an examine it and secure catalogue Everybody knows that the Colutnbi bicycle rapke as a prize winner and M Pauly's friends may rept sssuied th* Columbia wheels will be numerous i the Flint hills at a near date.Gun repairing in ail its branches. Runge, the “progressive” gun man.Hof-brau beer is a new brand of tbe delicious beverage that Martin Moehn 1 is brewing and will have on the market.Ask for it.Ale on Draught.Choice fresh ale can always be found on draught at Charley Weber s cafe, 220 Washington street.mourno;g are not compelled to leavetheir vehicles ana waK; cemetery.Butterine only 20c per pound at Wm. lhrer . Sons’, cor. Sixth and Jeff. Stsu81OcdaV\
Newspaper Details
Burlington Gazette
Burlington, Iowa, US
Tue, Feb 26, 1895
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Little D.
MO, USA 24 Nov 2018
Other Publications Near Burlington, Iowa
Mississippi Posten
Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye and Telegraph
Iowa State Gazette
Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye
Burlington Tri Weekly Telegraph
