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Aldermen’s Sympathy ‘Touched.---Municipal Ownership Water Works Ordinance Read.----Brute-Under taking Monopoly Given. Saturday night was the occasion of much felicitation on the part of the aldermen and Mayor all over the fact that the city council had reached “the low ebb” of municipal finances” as it was characterized, the time when it had been the rule to borrow money to tide the city over until the January license re ceipts and the taxes put the city treasury on easy street. It has not been necessary to borrow any mon ey and will not be necessary. The administration is to be congratulat ed upon the business-like methods it has used and its success in avoid ing the shoals of financial string ency. After paying all bills there was left in the treasury about $2,500 b efore another meeting is held there will be plenty to pay all accounts and a good sum will be left for the next year. And all this was accom plished by the administration, after its funds were depleted by the pay ment of $11,000 in old bills against the city by the preceding administra tion, out of the present year's funds. Mayor Beall and Mr. Sparks recalled in speeches, that predictions were made by false prophets the city would be borrowing money before first five months had passed. Bou quets were tossed freely to the coun cil by Mayor Beall and Chairman Sparks of the finance committee, be cause of the excellent condition of city finances, Council's Sympathy Touched. As an evidence that a touch of na ture makes all men kin, there was an interesting incident in the council meeting. A petition was presented asking that fines imposed upon two factory girls Minnie and Annie Ger ber be remitted, C. J. Jacoby, who interested himself in behalf of the two girls told the story that won the sympathy of the council. It appear ed the girls were justified, according to the story, in committing the of fense for which they were fined. They are the only support of their mother and the family recently came to Alton to buy a home and the girls worked in the glass works. An other girl, it was said, annoyed the girls by calling them poor folks, say ing they had nothing to eat at home and little to wear. The taunts be came unbearable and one evening, after the day’s work, the two sisters were assailed by a much larger girl who had threatened to whip them. The smaller of the sisters defended herself and was knocked down. Then her sister went to the rescue and be tween them they vanquished the assailant, who afterward had the Gerber sisters arrested. They paid their fine, which meant much to the family, and they could ill afford it. A motion was made to remit the fine and there was not a dissenting vote. Water Works Ordinance Read. The water works ordinance ,enab ling the city to purchase or build a municipal plant, was introduced and read the first time by Mr. Holden. It was referred to the water works and ordinance committees and laid over for amendment. The schedule of rates is not prepared and must be inserted in the ordinance. Knights of Pythias Offered Tract for Site. A communication from the Knights of Pythias who were represented by a delegation asked the council to as sist in securing the adoption of Al ton as a site for the proposed Py thian home. Mr. Marsh addressed the council said that Mr. J. P. Porter had agreed to give Rock Spring park as a site for the home and that it would be possible to se cure an additional tract adjoining the park site. The council was urg ed to cooperate with other organiza tions in Alton In pushing Alton’s claims for the home. The matter was referred to the promotion commit tee. City Clerk Gray asked permission to destroy the ballots cast at the last city election and was referred to the corporation counsel for advice. Edward Levis asked permission to open up Fifth street from the east side of the cemetery to Shield branch and he offered to grade and macad imize the street also to extend Joe sting avenue through two of Mr. Levis’ lots which he agreed to give to the city, Rejecting Food Claims. All claims growing out of the flooding of the vicinity of Niath and Belle streets from the choking of Piasa sewer were rejected by the Claims committee. After the vote was announced Noonan and McGuan, who voted adversely to the report of the Claims committee, said that the board of local improvements should do something immediately to pre vent a recurrence of the flooding of the property in that neighborhood. Noonan advocated the building of an other sewer from Ninth to connect with the Piasa sewer. The Frederick Hayden tract was accepted as an addition to the city on recommendation of the real es tate committee. The Health committee recommend ed the adoption of an ordinance com pelling all householders to make im mediate connection of open drains, for surface water or sewage, and all sinks, closets, etc., with the sewers, wherever possible, Link Drew, City Horse Undertaker. The corporation counsel was in structed to draw up a contract giv ing Lincoln Drew the position of of ficial and solitary horse undertaker in the city. Drew agreed to take charge of all dead animals and re move them to a place outside the city and there dispose of them. Drew addressed the council and said that he would take care of all packing house offal, too. Mr. Sparks, who supported the “undertaking” scheme of Mr. Drew, spoke feelingly of the inconvenience attending the death in the brute members of any of the Al ton families, which he hoped the new arrangement would improve. Aldermen Yackel said that he had counted fourteen “horse-corpses” on the sand-bar Saturday, and he offer ed a resolution authorizing Drew to remove all those there now and for bidding the placing of any more animal “corpses” on the “sand-bar dump.” The ordinance committee will present an ordinance to this ef fect at the next meeting. David Wilson was granted permis sion to quarry at Eighth and Sem ple streets ,temporarily. Would Change Henry Street's Name. Alderman Blair offered a resolu tion that the name of Henry street be changed to Central avenue along its entire length. The resolution was referred to the ordinance committee. This resolution, it is expected, will provoke lengthy controversy, pro and con, anent the proposed change. We are ready to sell you your Xmas fixens. The Globe. Spent Sunday in Belleville. Mayor John R. Davis and Mrs. Davis spent Sunday in Belleville and the knockers are saying that Mr. Davis went to Belleville because he knew there was no lid made that could fit tight on that town Sundays, while the lid he put on North Alton was really the only “tight” thing in the place. He denies he went there because the lid is off but denying things is a privilege everybody has as his very own. Mr. M. B. Garber and Mr. A. M. Maxwell, secretary and recorder of the American Home Circle, having headquarters at Springfield, Ill, will be in Alton Thuusday evening to in stall a circle here. They are start ing with thirty members and hold their first meeting in K. of Phall Second and Market streets. Lots for sale—H. G. McPike.
Newspaper Details
Alton Evening Telegraph
Alton, Illinois, US
Mon, Dec 11, 1905
Page 1
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Anonymous
USA 17 Jul 2026
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