Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1898 — The City Council. [ARTICLE]

The City Council.

The city council had its regular session Monday evening. A notable feature of the session was the presence of most of the city ministers, who asked that a curfew ordinance be passed by the Council. There were present Rev. H. M. Middleton, of the M. E. church; Rev. C. D. Jeffries, of the Presbytertian church; Rev. V. O. Fritts, of the Baptist church and Rev. F. L. Austin, of the Church of God. The Christian and F. W. Baptist churches have both voted like most of the others mentioned, almost unanimously in favor of such a measure, but Rev. Shepherd, of the Christian church was out of town, and the F. W. Baptists now have no regular pastor. Rev. Middleton was spokesman for the movement, and he presented many facts and arguments in favor of the curfew law. As for instance he showed that in Nebraska since the general adoption of the curfew, the committments of children to the reformatories from the cities of that state had decreased one half. The council considered the arguments of the ministers and agreed to pass a curfew ordinance if petitioned for by a majority of the tax-payers of the city. An organized movement will be made to secure such a petition by the time of the next regular meeting. Fire Chief Honan and Fiery Councilman Meyer clashed in a fiery debate, and the chief made a verbal tender of his resignation. Less fiery counsels prevailed, however, and the resignation was not accepted. The debate arose from requests of the chief for various things he thinks are badly needed for the fire department, such as a fire whistle, a house for hose cart No. 2, a tap for washing the* hose, etc. All referred to the fire committee. * The city clerk is directed to advertise the construction of a sewer on Van Rensselaer street, from the waterworks north to Clark street. A very large amount of old wooden sidewalk was reported unsafe, and referred to the sidewalk committee. Norman Warner, far out in Newton’s addition, wants to use city water, and an inch pipe will be laid to his property line from the nearest main, a block or two distant. • The school board was authorized to lay a ten-*inch sewer from the school houses along Susan and Milroy streets to the river, in order to provide facilities for using waterworks for waterclosets at the school houses. About 74 claims were allowed. Nd further action was taken on the waterworks ordinance.