Council Favors New Industries

Source: The Weekly Chronicle, Elyria, Ohio, August 9, 1902, page 4.

COUNCIL FAVORS

New Industries Will Co-operate to Encourage New Steel Plant and Tube Mill for Elyria - Automatic Stokers for Elyria - Much Business in Council

All the councilmen except Mr. Shearer were present to hear the reading of the minutes at the council meeting Tuesday evening.

The city engineer, marshal, solicitor clerk and stenographer were present to perform their respective duties.

The pay ordinance was read, the total amount being $7335.76.  Over $600 came from the police fund and $3700 was for estimate on West Bridge street paving.  Mr. Eady objected to the bill for paving.  He said he had found the specifications were not followed, inasmuch as they had not filled the trenches where drains are put in with stone.  He took it that specifications were made to follow.

Mr. LeMaster thought that the contractors were taking out the clay and replacing it with stone.  He thought there was enough of a margin to protect the city if the bill were allowed, but he believed the contractors should live up to the contract.  Others spoke in the same tenor.  Mr. Andress, the inspector, said that all but 150 feet of the clay had been taken up and stone was put in.  He thought the contractors would be willing to make the ditch right.  Mr. LeMaster thought the 25 per cent reserve would protect this city.  The ordinance was passed with the [missing text]

Hon. George H. Ely, who had been asked what had become of the Columbia Steel Co. said, "The delay was on account of the company not being able to obtain structural iron, but that it could be secured in the near future.  He said company to be located between the Lake Shore & Baltimore & Ohio R. Rds. on the West Side, instead of Lorain as had been talked of.  The B. & B. object to having their road crossed, but agreed to pay one third of the expense of building an underground crossing for a new street to the site of the shops.  The Ely Realty Co., agreed to pay one third of the expense of building not to exceed $3,000 dollars.  The Steel Company propose to put in a 500 horse power engine and four 150 horse power boilers.  Mr. Ely in asking the council to pay one third of the expense of the crossing, wished them to insist upon the company using stokers to feed the boilers instead of hand feeding as the company are contemplating doing.  He begged the coucil to do this in order to compel the company to burn at least 90% of the smoke and he also said it would save them a great deal of fuel.

He thought all factories to be built in the future should be compelled to use patent stokers and said it would have been a saving to the Ely Realty company if they had been compelled to do so when they built the power block.  An informal motion was passed assuring Mr. Ely that the city would look after one third of the expense of putting the road under the B & O tracks under the conditions named.

Mr. George Townsend, representative of Springfield Roller Co., proposed to council to deliver F.O.B. a 30,000 lb. bevel drive wheel, steam steering road roller for $3,500.  The proposition was referred to the street committee, with power to act.  Mr. Townsend was requested to furnish specifications for a method of road improvement suitable to our soil.

The Burdell bill for about $50 and the Couch bill for $72.80 for damage to property in sanitary work by board of health, were referred back to the board of health.

A proposition of a new directory company to sell directories to the city was referred to the financial committee with power to act.

Chairman LeMaster of the finance committee gave a report on the investigation into the matter of interest on city funds that the law would not permit a loan of the money and the matter was dropped.

The matter of plans for the steam heating fittings for the opera house and city hall was referred to the building committee with power to act.

A vote of thanks was suggested for Mr. Reefy, as chairman of the street committee for letting the council off without a report.

Mr. Grundy of the sewer committee, reported that the Lodi street sewer was too small and the water backed up in about fifteen cellars.  He thought something should be done at once and not wait for a new sewer system.  He recommended that about 400 feet of 2 foot sewer pipe be purchased.  The matter was referred to the sewer committee to report at the next meeting.

Mr. Lersch said that the pavement on Lodi street along the street car tracks were in bad shape.  He also suggested that the crossings be lowered, so that the raise would not be over two inches at the gutter plates, with the sidewalks graded down accordingly.  His suggestions were referred to the street committee with power to act.

Mr. Williams, of the light committee, reported that there had been a few outages during this month but he had no report.  Some one sarcastically suggested that a vote of thanks be tendered the lighting company for the excelling of the service.

Mr. Lersch, of the fire and water committee reported that the firemen asked that the city pay their expenses to the picnic at Wellingon Aug. 27.  They want to take the band with them.  The fire chief and committee were authorized to use city money for such expenses not to exceed $75.  The reason the chief asked for these expenses was that there had been no fires lately and the fireman had not received any money.

Mr. LeMaster recommended new stone culverts with railings to be built on Winckles and Northrup streets.  A proposition for painting the bridges and railings for 30 cents per running foot for bridges and five cents for railing except the Third and Lodi street bridges on which the railings were to be seven cents per foot.  This was referred to the bridge committee with power to act.

The bridge committee recommended the removal of the Washington street bridge to Thirteenth street if it could be made strong enough, and if not to build a new bridge at that point.  He said that all that was asked of the city to secure a new tube mill was that a bridge be built at Thirteenth street and good roads be built there.  This was referred to the bridge committee with power to act.  All spoke in favor of the project, as one that would encourage home investments and industries.

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The 4th ward city councilman, William Clifford LeMASTER (1871-1922), was my paternal great-granduncle.  He was the cashier of a local bank, and active in political affairs.  I find these old newspaper clippings interesting reading about life over 100 years ago in Elyria, Ohio.