USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 32
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August 2d, a committee was appointed and directed to report the best and cheapest plan for supplying the city with water. Septem- ber 6th, a petition, signed by a large number of citizens, was pre- sented to the Council, praying that body to submit to the qualified voters,." Shall bonds be issued for the building of water works ?" This was the beginning of the water works.
During the summer and fall of this year Messrs. W. B. Wooruff & Co. built the large ice house on Water Street, adjoining Woodruff Hall, and in the early spring of 1871 purchased and packed two hun- dred tons of lake ice for the comfort and convenience of the general public.
Mr. Robert Dixon, during the fall, re-floored the third-story room of his large brick building, on the corner of First and Elm Streets, for the purpose of "roller skating," and threw it open for the enjoy- ment of the amusement-loving public.
1871.
The Council having submitted for years to second-story rooms and unsuitable and uncomfortable places wherein to hold their meet- ings, and to exhorbitant charges for keeping and feeding city prison- ers, determined to erect a building combining Council Chamber, Clerk's office, Mayor's and other offices, prison and station rooms.
February 22d a resolution was adopted to build such a house, and a committee appointed to procure plans and specifications and report cost. October 24th George W. Fallon furnished a plan and accompanying specifications and the same were adopted.
May 7th, 1872, a contract was entered into by and between the city and Digman & Kyle to build the house, the same to be eighty feet in length by thirty feet in width.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
March 19th, 1872, the county had determined to build a new jail, and by order of the Commissioners the old jail was exposed to sale at public outcry. At this sale the city became the purchaser for a mere nominal sum. The old prison was soon torn down, and all material of any value safely stored away, to be used in building the City Hall and prison. This purchase proved to be a most judicious one, for by it the city secured all the iron doors, frames, grating, etc., necessary to be used in the new building. In addition this, one hun- dred thousand or more good brick were saved from the ruins, and enough flag stones to lay the pavement in front of the building. After reserving all material of value the remainder was sold for more than enough to satisfy the purchase bid.
This building was completed at a cost of near $17,000 and was occupied by the Council for the first time on July 15th, 1873. It is a magnificent building and stands to-day an evidence of the taste and good judgment of the Council who conceived the idea of its building.
"The " South Kentucky" Narrow Gauge Railroad Company having been chartered by the Legislature March 15th, G. M. Alves, City Engineer, was employed to make a preliminary survey, which he did in April. September 11th an ordinance was passed by the Com- mon Council directing the sense of the qualified voters to be taken upon the propriety of the city subscribing for six hundred shares of stock. This election was held September 23d and resulted in 180 votes being polled for the proposition and 50 opposed to it.
October 3d the Mayor was directed to subscribe for six hundred shares, $50 each, making $30,000, and on January 23d, 1872, the Council appriated $500 to assist in making necessary surveys.
A Board of Directors was elected, but for many reasons nothing more than has been enumerated, has ever been effected.
May 2d, Thomas F. Cheany, appointed for the purpose, reported 923 children of legal school age, living in the city.
From the completion of the Evansville, Henderson & Nashville Railroad there had been manifested by the management a determin- ation to reach the water line of the Ohio River, even though the rights of the city had to be trampled under foot. There was at the time a positive contract between the city and railroad company that no cars or engines should be run over Fourth Street only so far as stipulated, certainly no passengers or freight trains were to run to the river. This agreement, which was quite satisfactory to the company when money was asked to aid in completing the road, had become
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FOLGER GIN
CITY HALL.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
since its completion equally as distaseful and annoying. An outlet was wanted, and for this the company was unwilling to remunerate the city.
Conceiving the idea that for the purpose of transporting the United States mails, engines and cars should be run to the river and no interference by the city would result, on the sixteenth day of May an engine, mail, express and passenger coaches attached, rushed over the forbidden track to Water Street. This was a nice dodge, an unscrupulous company embraced (shielding itself behind the sup- posed interference of the United States) to violate and trample under foot a positive agreement made and entered into, presumably in good faith. The Mayor of the city witnessed this gross violation of right and immediately applied to those in authority to find out its meaning. Finding a settled determination on the part of the company to sub- mit no longer to the agreement, but to force trains to Water Street under the pretense of carrying the United States mail, he applied to Judge S. B. Vance, and that able, clear-headed lawyer drew an in- genious ordinance, not only attacking the flanks, but the rear of the company in such a way as to compel its surrender a short time there- after.
General Boyle, then President of the company, and those who had advised with him, had never taken the view embraced in the or- dinance, and were therefore completely outgeneraled. A meeting of the Council was called and the ordinance passed without a dissenting voice to take effect from its publication. Several days passed before the ordinance could be made operative, and during that time trains ran unmolested to Water Street.
This ordinance did not deal directly with the company, but at- tacked those in its employ. It prescribed a fine of fifty to one hun- dred dollars to be laid against each and every employe, engineer, conductor, brakeman or other person detected in running a train of cars between the depot and Water Street. The Superintendent of the road, one Hugh Pitcairne, with his headquarters in Hopkinsville, directed the movements of the trains by use of the wire connecting the two cities. He was a wiley fellow, cute and unscrupulous. He hesitated to do nothing in the interest of his masters and partook strongly of their rebellious and dishonest spirit. He heard of the ordinance and cut his cloth to suit the municipal garment, in short, he directed his trains to be run to Water Street, with no one but the engineer and one brakeman. Upon one occasion there was no one but the engineer and mail agent. The first day after the or-
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
dinance had become law, two policemen were stationed between Main and Water about train time. Soon the train came along, the em- ployes whistling and thinking little, if anything, of what was in store for them. Upon halting at Water Street each employe was sum- moned to appear before the Police Court. At this they smiled an uncertain smile as the train backed back to the depot. Next day new men were on the train and they too in turn were summoned to appear before the Police Court. Fines were assessed, and yet these fellows thought the city was indulging a little game of bluff. About the third day five employes, including two engineers, one conductor and two brakemen, in an unguarded moment, were arrested and straightway marched to jail. Not until they were looking out from behind the great iron doors and exercising their teeth upon the toughest of diet did they realize the serious attitude in which a man placed himself who attempted to violate the law. They refused to be bailed by their city friends, but demanded that those who had gotten them there should see to their release. The fourth evening another batch was incarcerated, and the engineer, rather than suffer a similar fate, jumped his engine and left it with train attached standing in the street between Main and Water, where it remained for several days.
Superintendent Pitcairne could get no one to venture from the depot to the river. One engine and a train of cars was standing idle in the street, and no one could be induced to remove it. The magni- tude of the situation induced him to tear his hair and anathematize Henderson, yet no relief came to him. He could stand it no longer, so he ventured from his Hopkinsville headquarter to visit Henderson and by his august presence intimidate the authorities, throw open the prison doors and visit vengeance upon those who had dared to inter- fere with his plans. He, however, alighted from the train a few hun- dred yards outside of the city limits and took a birds-eye view of the depot surroundings by the aid of a field-glass. Failing to discover an officer of the city in sight he ventured in, but in fifteen minutes afterwards was seen marching down the street between two police going in the direction of the county jail. He fumed and protested, he threatened to bring in a troop of negro soldiers, and yet the police minded him not. A few minutes later the great prison door was opened and he ushered into the company of his engineers, conduc- tors and brakemen. He swore he would rot in jail, but he didn't. His men swore they would sue the company and nothing short of a compromise kept them from it.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
Superintendent Pitcairne took two meals in jail, changed his mind, pledged the revenues of the road to any citizen who would bail him and his men and soon left the town.
His dignity was completely destroyed, the importance of his po- sition manifestly insignificant, and two days afterwards he begged to be permitted to remove his engine and train, which had stood in the street for a week without steam, back to the depot.
By this time the county jail had become such terror the Mayor was forced to accompany an engineer to the engine in order to assure him that he would not be molested in raising steam and then backing back to the depot.
These were exciting times, and all the while the United States mail or the agent had never been molested. This important func- tionary was permitted to ride down to Water Street unnoticed, and afterwards to foot it or take passage in an express wagon suited his pleasure. One of their dignitaries, too lazy to walk, and too important to ride in a country wagon, reported the city authori- ties to the Postmaster General.
An agent of the Postal Department was dispatched to Hender- son to investigate the charges preferred, and, having heard the evi- dence, unhesitatingly endorsed the action of the city. No more cars were run to Water street, but the judgments recovered in the City Court amounted to over two thousand dollars. Immediately after the release of Superintendent Pitcairn, General Boyle instituted suit in the United States Court, at Louisville, against the city, for the right of way and damage.
The stoppage of the United States mails in the streets of the city was one of the allegations in this remarkable petition.
May 29th, the Common Council directed the Mayor, City Attor- ney, Judge Eaves and Judge S. B. Vance, to proceed to Louisville and enter defense to the suit of the American Contract Company, and the Mayor authorized and empowered to employ additional and experienced counsel in that city. Hon. Isaac Caldwell was employed, and, at his instance, Hon. Harvey Yeaman, whom the City of Hender- son delighted to honor, not alone on account of his eminent legal qualifications, but his high and noble personal and social culture, was associated with him.
An answer was filed and the case continued to July. During the time, the officers of the city busied themselves securing evidence and in various ways fortifying the defense.
348
HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
July came, and on the sixth day of that month the case was reached and called for trial. Both parties announced themselves ready. The city, by her attorneys, filed a demurrer to the petition, and upon the trial of this hung the fate of General Boyle and his company. The papers were read and Judge Ballard, without listen- ing to a prepared speech from either side, sustained the demurrer. He even decided that if a mail agent (whose importance had been so magnified and relied upon by the plaintiffs) had violated a law, he too was as much liable to arrest as any officer of the train. This de- cision was a death blow to General Boyle. It must have been, for this peculiarly great man could not restrain a tear or two.
A few months subsequent to this trial, the American Contract Company sold the road and its franchises to Winslow and Wilson, of the St. Louis & Southeastern Railroad, running from Evansville to St. Louis.
July 5th, 1872, the Mayor called the attention of the Council, in a message, to a meeting to be held in Hopkinsville, July 29th, for the purpose of consolidating the two roads, and thereupon the following named gentlemen were appointed to report what policy should be adopted by the city : James F. Clay, S. B. Vance, Henry F. Turner, John O'Byrne, Ben. Harrison, T. M. Jenkins, Governor A. Dixon, William S. Johnson, N. H. Barnard, John C. Stapp and P. H. King. July 26th, the committee reported to the Council as follows :
"After mature consultation your committee reports the following:
Resolved, That from all the information we have, it will be to the interest of the City of Henderson for a consolidation of the E., H. & N. R. R. with the St. Louis & Southeastern and the Edgefield & Kentucky Railroad, if the same can be made upon equitable terms; and we therefore recommend that the City Council so direct the vote of the stock, and upon the best terms they can make. JAMES F. CLAY, Chairman.
"BEN. HARRISON, Secretary."
This report was adopted by the Council, and the Mayor instructed to attend the meeting at Hopkinsville, and so vote the stock of the city. The proposition to consolidate the three roads was carried by an overwhelming majority.
September 5th, 1872, an ordinance was passed granting perma- nent right of way over Fourth street, with the right to build to low water mark, to establish a transfer for freight and passengers, under an agreement between the city and the St. Louis & Southeastern Rail- road, consolidated. There were many stipulations in this agreement, the most important, that Henderson should not be discriminated against in shipments of freights ; that the machine shops of this division should
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
be established here, and that the sum of two thousand dollars recov- ered in judgments against the employes of the E., H. & N. should be paid. The two thousand dollars was paid by General Winslow, and with that ended the Boyle-Pitcairne farce.
The following handsome buildings were erected during this year : Hon. M. Yeaman's residence, Haffey, Fleming & Clores block of three-story brick store houses, corner Main and First Streets, the Planters' Bank and C. H. Johnson & Bros. book store.
December 1st, a committee composed of several members of the Council, and other citizens was appointed to co-operate with a com- mittee from Vanderburgh County, Indiana, for the purpose of organ- izing a short line railroad company connecting the two cities of Hen- derson and Evansville. This connection was to be made on the In- diana side, and in order to encourage the subscription of a sufficient sum for the purpose, upon the recommendation of the Mayor he was authorized to subscribe the sum of fifteen thousand dollars for and in behalf of the city. This proposition failed to materialize, owing to the fact the people on the Indiana side failed or refused to give it the necessary encouragement.
1872.
January 2d, the inhabitants, that is, many of them, were consid- erably exercised over the passage of a compulsory vaccination ordi- nance.
March 19th, for the purpose of encouraging manufactories, an ordinance was passed releasing manufactories, where the building and machinery was worth in the aggregate ten thousand dollars in cash, from taxation for city purposes for the term of five years.
In November of this year that very remarkable horse disease known as the "epizootic " swept the country. Henderson, as well as other cities, suffered on account of it, and to relieve the pressing need of teams, December 7th an ordinance was passed permitting teams from the country or elsewhere to haul throughout the city limits free of license. All of the livery horses, as well as those belonging to private stables, were more or less affected, yet but few losses oc- curred on account of it. This was a blood and lung disease and was easily detected by the following symptoms: At the beginning the animal exhibited a drowsy, mopy disposition, then a swelling of the under jaw and legs, then a continued hacking cough, then heavy dis- charges of mucous from the nose. A drench of linseed oil, sweet spirits of nitre, quinine and gum goaccum, in proportionate parts, and the animal kept heavily blanketed, effected a sure cure.
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
In 1881 a disease somewhat similar made its appearance. This was called the "Pink Eye" and evidenced itself in the horse by swelling, mattery eyes and leg swelling. This was a kidney disease, and the same drench used as in the "Epizootic." In addition to this Captain Thomas Gilligan, who treated a number of horses with won- derful success, used a prescription made of proportionate parts of powdered gentian, sassafras, skunk cabbage, cream tartar, sal nitre, pulverized ginger, sulphur, digitalis, blood root and berchie leaves. This was made into a powder and fed twice a day in bran.
Preliminary steps were taken during the fall looking to the build- ing of the bridge across the Ohio.
1873.
April 5th, the city purchased the present hospital site and build- ing of Mrs. Sterling Payne.
June 3d, F. W. Reutlinger, executor of the will of John Pernet, tendered the City Council one hundred dollars, an amount directed by the testator to be given to the poor of Henderson. This generous public benefaction was appropriately accepted by the Council and placed to the credit of a special fund to be disposed of as intended by the gracious donor.
Early in the month of May the stern wheel steamboat "Collier " sank at the wharf foot of Second Street. She was permitted to re- main unmolested, except by the current, until the third day of June, when an order was passed by the Council directing her removal. A few weeks after a contract was entered into with Captain Hiram Hill, the noted submarine diver and wrecker, at and for the sum of $1,200, to remove the wreck. ()n the 17th day of December he completed his work. The owners of the boat brought suit against the city, but failed to make a case.
September 2d, the severe restrictions placed upon the sale of vege- tables, fish, meats, etc., were removed.
November 11th, the first Hook and Ladder wagon, together with a full complement of buckets, ladders, etc., was purchased of B. Bruce & Co., of Cincinnati, at a cost of one thousand dollars.
1874.
On the 16th day of February, Hon. Jacob Held qualified and assumed the duties of Mayor of the city. The new administration directed the Finance Committee, and very properly, to report the financial condition of the city. On the 3d day of March this com-
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
mittee reported the assets of the city amounting to $563,643.84 ; lia- bilities, $429,411.09 ; assets in excess of liabilities, $134,232.75.
March 24th, by order of the Council, seconded by the County Court, the beautiful shade trees now surrounding Court House Square were planted out.
May 5th, Thomas F. Cheaney, School Enumerator, reported in the city 1,118 white children between the ages of six and twenty years, and 418 colored children between the ages of six and sixteen.
May 20th, the press of Kentucky met here in convention, and were elegantly entertained. For this purpose, in addition to hand- some sums contributed by citizens, the City Council donated six hun- dred dollars.
1875.
On the 15th day of February Rescue Hook and Ladder Com pany tendered its services to the city, and was received as a volun- teer fire company.
In the spring of this year, 1875, the State Medical Society held its annual meeting in Henderson, attended by very many disting- uished members of the profession.
The society was elegantly entertained by Dr. P. Thompson. David Clark, Thomas Soaper and E. L. Starling.
October 5th a contract was entered into with Delker & Blondin for the building of the first horse wagon ever owned by the City of Henderson at and for the price of $375.
October 5th the Superintendent of the Public School reported the total enrolment of pupils 785. Of this number 382 were boys and 403 were girls. Daily attendance, 587.
March 16th the remains of the five men shot by Colonel Glenn's troops during the war and interred near the water works grounds, were exhumed by order of the Council and buried in the City Ceme- tery.
A valuable lithograph map of the city by G. M. Alves, City En- gineer, was offered for sale during the month of March.
The delinquent lists returned by the Marshal for 1873, four and five, were very large and the sales of property for taxes due were alarming.
The Jay Cooke panic had had its effect, and this, coupled with the very high taxation imposed úpon the people, was more than very
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY,
many of them were able to contend with.
The distress of the people necessarily crippled the city govern- ment, yet under all of these unlooked for circumstances the city man- aged to pull through by exercising close and scrutinizing economy.
A report of the City Clerk of amounts received and disbursed from September 1st, 1874, to September 7th, 1875, inclusive, shows $67,738.99 received and $67,824.74 disbursed, showing the disburse- ments to exceed the receipts only $85.75.
September 7th the administration of Mayor Jacob Held termin- ated by limitation, and upon retiring Mr. Held delivered an appro- propriate and feeling valedictory.
Hon. John C. Atkinson upon assuming the responsible position just vacated by the Hon. Jacob Held, read his inaugural address, a paper of considerable length, but full of most excellent suggestions. This paper showed that the executive fully comprehended the wishes and wants of the people, and in dealing with matters of public con- cern was clear, strong and graceful. After having called the atten- tion of the Council to the importance of the trusts committed to its keeping, he argued that the debt of the city should not be extended beyond what it then was, and that the taxes must in no event be in- creased, and that the strictest economy should be exercised in every department of the city government. In the exercise of retrenchment and economy, he urged the Council to examine into various offices made subject to its control by the charter, and ascertain whether or not they were indispensible to the proper working of the municipal machinery. He urged the abolishment of all offices which could be, without material detriment to the public service, to inquire into the amount of salaries, and if found too high, cut them down to an amount considered a fair compensation for the work rendered. He argued that existing salaries were fixed at a time when general pros- perity prevailed and money possessed a less value, but a time of business depression, and where labor was seeking in vain its just re- ward, that salaries and expenses should be reduced and made to con_ form to the standard of values then existing in other departments of business. He urged the Council to make some provision for the pay- ment of the bonds falling due in less than twelve years, to the import- ance of the sinking fund, to the heavy debt of the city and large amount of interest to be paid semi-annually.
The Mayor dwelt at some length upon the pride the Council should feel in the advantages possessed by Henderson. Its spacious wharf, broad and well paved streets, its well appointed gas works
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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.
giving free of charge more street lamps than any city of similar size, its water works, which would afford an abundant supply of pure water for all purposes, its beautiful city of the dead, where death is robbed of half his terrors, its public schools, where all of the youth within the limits of the corporation, both white and colored, are in- structed. These he urged were the city's jewels of priceless value and should be closely watched and nourished.
He paid a high compliment to those public-spirited citizens who composed the " Rescue Hook and Ladder Company," who, without the hope of fee or reward, save the consciousness of a duty performed in mitigating or preventing the misfortune of those unhappy citizens whose toil of a lifetime is threatened with destruction in an hour, hold themselves in readiness to brave all the dangers incident to a fire- man's life.
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