The Common Council

To the Daily Times we are indebted for the following account of Monday evening's meeting: The regulai' meeting of the coinmon council was held in the council chamber last evening. There were present Aid. Maynard, Moore, Ivoch, Laubengayer, Dell, Burke, Brown, Shadford, Rhodes, Coon, Soule, Cady, Danforth and President Hiscock. His Honor, the Mayor, appointed Thos. D. Kearney city attorney. All of the aldermeu present voted yea. The Soldiers' Relief Coinmission of Washteaaw county inyited the council to particípate with the old soldiers in the Memorial Day exercises on May 30, 189C. Accepted. The attention of the council was called to the Foundry water pond, whieh is crossed by "Washington and Third sts. The conimuuication branded it as a nuisauce. It was referred to the city attoruey. A petition signed by Mrs. Olivia B. Hall, asking for the privilege to construct a private sewer was read and referred to the sewer cornmittee. - A petition signed by George Johnson and 10 others asking for an electric liixht was read and referred to the lighting committee. A petition signed by H. Hochrein and 9 others asking for the construction of a sidewalk on Second st, was referred to the sidewalk committee. A petition signed by W. B. Smith and 29 others asking for an electric light at the corner of Fourteenth and Washington sts. was read and referred to the lighting comrnittee. A petition signed by W. F. Groves asking for the building of the house branches along his property on E. Washington st. was read and referred to the sewer committee. The clerk presented a suminons in the case of Beruhard Mast and Anna Mast vs. the City of Ann Arbor, which was referred to the city attorney. The bids of the State Savings Bank for the city money at 3 per cent for daily balances and 0 per cent on overdrafts, of the Farmers .Sc Mechanics Bank at 3 per cent on balances and G per cent on overdrafts, of the Ann Arbor Savings Bank at 3 3-10 per cent on balances and G per cent on overdrafts were read. President Hiscoek smiled and the council cheered. Everybody present expected a speech from Smiling Charlie, but all he said was: "The bids are very close, gentlemen." (More cheers.) The bid of the Aiin Arbor Savings Bank was accepted. The committee on sewers recommended that the sewer at the manhole in front of the residence of Miss Gardner be lowered. four feet. The committee on streets recommended that the grade of Walnut and Linden sts. be fixed and established. The committee on sidewalks and streets recommended that $500 be appropriated from the street fund to grade the street and sidewalk on Walnut st. and S. University ave., from Washtenaw ave. to Oxford st. The committee on streets recommended that the bridges over the Huron river at Broadway and Wall sts. be replanked with hemlock plank two and one-half inehes in thickness; also that a water tank be located in front of the store of Wm. Lodholz; that the street commissioner be instructed to widen Felcb st. between the Ann Arbor railroad and Spring st.; that the street commissioner be dlrected to put an oak box culvert aeross Thayer st. on the north side of Hill st. The committee on streets recommended that the board of public works be directed to inacadamize Detroit st. from Fourth ave to the viaduct over the M. C. R. R., and Fourth ave. from the north line of Ann st. to Detroit st. Aid. Soule, Danfortli, Moore and Koeh spoke against the project because it was impracticable. The street was not sewered, and there was too much travel on the street for macadam to hold out. Aid. Moore said that he had read of these points in a city paper (of course the gentleman referred to The Times) and they were correct. Aid. Maynard moved that the report be lald on the table for a week. Adopted. The committee recommended that the oak tree located in the sidewalk at the corner of Maynard and Liberty sts. be removed and the street commissioner be directed to remove the same at once. Aid. Soule objected to the removal of the tree and said that he would like to hear froin residents in the neighborhood. "The tree is directly in front of my liouse and in a dark night one is Hable to run into it, besides the tree is practlcally dead," sald Aid. Moynard. "I hare never been in condition to run into the tree," replied the Major. (Loud laughter.) The liquor bond of Martin 1'. Vogel was aceepted. The city marshal and Justice of the Peaee Andrew E. Gibson were exhonorated by suitable resolutions from all suspicion in niisappropriating funds. The appointment of Einma R. Jtills as deputy city clerk was adopted. Aid. Maynard moyed that ths eommuiieation of the board of public works relative to the Liberty st. sewer be taken from the table. Mr. Stevenson, of the firm of Stevenson, Reed & Co., who built the Liberty st. sewer, was present and said he had waited two years and "was willing to settle for $400, the amount that was due him for building that sewer. Mr. Bullis, a foriner member of the board of public works, said that Stevenson, Reed fc Co. were not entitled to pay for any claim for the reason that the firm did not comply with the specifications, and gave nis reasons. Mr. Stevenson said that the parties who were aecused of boodling probably did not comply with the specifications either. He himself had paid $20 blood money. "Then you are just as guilty of boodling as anybody," said Mr. Bullis. The war of words between Stevenson and Bullis continued for some time, and amused everybody present. The further consideration of the claim was indefinitely postponed. Stevenson will now sue the city for $1,500. He would have settled for $400. Adjourned. The tmteiness of the Aim Arbor Road is isteadlly improfving. For the first wek in lla.y '95, the earning-s were $21,405, and the same period flhta year $21,973. From Jan. lst to May 7, '95, tiie earnings Tip-e $356,227 ; fhis year they were $390,353. ■ -. "I am familiar Tvitfo the system ly whteh coiunties in Texas employ convicts in raad making." wrllbes a west cyclist. "Ctanvicts sentenced ior not mlore than two years are Wnned into camps and worked with splendid reisults. Wheelmen could do mucli in directing: sucli -vvork, and Ivcvnld talk the matter up in every state. 8uch a move would add to t;he pleasu're of all and to the wealth öt the nation. It wonld benefit the health 0f the convict, teach him liabttis of tndustry, and remove his services from eompetition with free laticir." Leonard Gruiner, having a desire to loiiow tlie trae valué '5i and uilver coims, -wrote to the U. B. mint B,t Philadelphia, recently, and received this reply : "The gold in a gold dollar has au intrinsic value of SI, amd Hhe sil ver d ollar from 48: to 50 cemtis, owing to the market valne of e 11 ver. A damaged gold coin witlhout loss of metal, wlll fetch face valme at tihis mint, ■vhile a silver cola under tlve same circumstances wSB le wortih'Only ooejhajf of face value."