USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2 > Part 83
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GAS STOVEST
AMERICAN OUT
ARBLE CO
E OHL BINAS
SAUSAGE ROW FROM SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
RACE STREET LOOKING NORTH FROM FRONT STREET.
IN
RANKS
LOWER MARKET LOOKING EAST FROM SYCAMORE.
THE FLOOD OF 1884.
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bonds of the United States, Ohio, Cincinnati, Toledo or Columbus, giving the preference to Cincinnati bonds, and that no bonds of the city should be offered for sale until they had been offered to the trustees at par and they had declined to take them. All bonds of the city thus purchased beyond the amount of $75,000 should be canceled and could not be reissued and the interest coupons were paya- ble only to the sinking fund. The board also has supervisory powers over the city depart- ments and officers.
"The practical result of the trust as admin- istered in Cincinnati is simply to reduce the debt. The trustees have nothing which can be used to pay bonds that may be presented beyond the amount of cash that may be on hand. As, for example, at the close of busi- ness on December 31, 1897, the fund proper held in cash was $393,313.84. This can be used. The securities then amounted to $8,523,220.30, butt these can not be used be- cause they are city bonds, all but $75,000 of which are required to be stamped 'canceled.'
"But were it not for the trust this great body of bonds would be still outstanding and the city debt would be 3412 millions instead of about 27 millions.
"The first annual report of the trustees con- tained a statement of the condition of the debt of the city on January 1, 1878. The results of their work during the twenty years may be grouped into a general statement in which I nise round figures only. The increase in out- standing bonds has been slightly over two millions, while the increase in the holdings of the sinking fund has been nearly eight mil- lions.
"And it should be added that this statement does not include payments at maturity of many bonds which had been issued and re- deemed within the twenty years." (Thornton M. Hinkle, Sinking Funds ; paper read before the Cincinnati Literary Club, January I, 1898.)
According to the report of the trustees for the year 1902 the net bonded debt of the city of Cincinnati at the end of that year was $26.582,000 and the interest payable in the year 1902 was $1,200,940. Of this bonded debt $6,485,000 were Southern Railway bonds ma- turing in 1906, 1908, 1909, and bearing inter- est at six, seven and seven and three-tenths percent. During the year 1902, $494,000
seven percent and $7,611,000 seven and three- tenths percent bonds matured and to meet them $7,810,000 Consolidated Sinking Fund bonds were issued bearing three and one-half percent interest; these were redeemable in 30 years and payable in 50 years. By this transaction alone the city more than cut the 'interest on $8,000,000 in half. The largest purchase of the year 1902 by the sinking fund was that of the Southern Railway Terminal issue of three and one-half percent, in amount $500,000. There were called during the year three issues of four percent bonds still with IO years to run, in amount $644,500, and the total purchases for the year including the terminal bonds already mentioned amounted to $838,000, so that practically the total bonds extinguished by maturity, call and purchase were $9,592,500 as against the new issue of $8,848,800, a net decrease of $744,500 indebt- edness without refernce to the saving in the rate of interest. The annual interest charge on January 1, 1902, less interest on bonds called, was $1,523,982. The total interest charge for 1903 was $1,200,940 showing a de- crease in interest of $323,042. There were held in the sinking fund at that time bonds and cash uninvested to the amount of a little over a million dollars so that the net liability of the city was $25,429,763.05. Of the total debt of the city, $18,300,000 represents the original amount invested in the Cincinnati Southern Railway,-reduced by refunding purchase, etc., to $16,353,000,-and $500,000 in the new terminal facilities and $2,925,000 represents the amount expended upon the new water works improvement.
Under the code of 1902 provision was made for a Board of Trustees of the Sinking Fund to be composed of four citizens not more than two of whom should belong- to the same polit- ical party and who should be appointed by the mayor. This board succeeds the old board and has very much the same powers as those possessed by that board except that it is not limited quite so much in the character of its investments. It also constitutes the Board of Tax Commissioners whose duty it is upon levies made by the Council to consider the same and within 10 days to return the same to the Council for approval or rejection with reasons in case of rejection. This power of veto extends to parts as well as to the whole and can be overruled by a three-fourths vote of the Council. Under this act Mayor Fleisch-
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
mann appointed to these two boards: Charles P. Taft, C. H. Kellogg, George W. Harris and Thornton M. Hinkle for terms expiring in 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907. The clerk of the board is Louis Carroll.
The annual report for 1903 shows that the levies made in 1903 for 1904 expenditures are upon a total valuation of $215,942,390, as against $211,347,880 of the previous year. The new bonds issued during the year aggre- gated $2,275,500, and the additional bonds as- sumed by the city as the result of the annexa- tions aggregated $481,084.04. Of the new issue, $1,500,000 was for water works im- provement, $500,000 for Southern Railway terminals and $100,000, hospital bonds. The gross bonded debt of the city December 31, 1903, was $32,884,142.43. The net liability of the city on the same date was $28,292,561.02. This includes assessments, debts,-$1, 179,- 671.06, -- of which all but $317,179.41 are held by the Trustees of the Sinking Fund. Omit- ing the Southern Railway and new water works debt to date and sinking fund invest- ments, the liability of the city on January I, 1904, was $7,082,861.02.
SOME FIGURES ABOUT THE CITY FINANCES.
An interesting comparison of figures can be made with relation to the values of taxable property, of which a very complete record has been kept for more than three-fourths of a century. In 1826 the total valuation of tax- able property in Cincinnati was $3,157,392, of which as has always been the case realty fur- nished by far the greater amount, $2,335,456, and personalty, $821,936. By 1835 these val- uations had about doubled and about trebled by 1845. The population in 1830 was 28,831, in 1835 estimated at 31,000, in 1840 a little over 46,000 and in 1846 estimated at 82,167, showing an increase of wealth a little more rapid than that in population. The total val- uation in 1846 was almost ten millions, of which about six and a half million dollars was made up of realty and three and a half mil- lions of personalty. In 1847 the valuation in- creased over twenty-seven millions, realty jumping from a little over six milions to about twenty-eight millions and personalty from a little less than three and a half million dol- lars to over nine millions, making a total val- uation of thirty-seven milions. The increase in population for this period was estimated at a little over 8,000. By 1854 the valuations had again more than doubled, exceeding
eighty-seven million dollars of which fifty- eight millions was realty and twenty-nine mil- lions personalty. Just prior to the beginning of the war, in 1860 with a population of 161,- 044 the aggregate valuation was a little over ninety-three millions, two-thirds of which was realty. The one hundred million mark was passed in 1863 and during the next few years the increase was quite rapid. By 1870 when the population was 216,239 the aggregate val- uation of taxable property was one hundred and thirty-six millions, of which about sev- enty-nine millions was realty and fifty-seven millions personalty. During the 10 following years in seven there was a decrease of valua- tions so that in 1880 the total valuation was one hundred and sixty-seven and a half mil- lion dollars of which one hundred and thirty millions was realty and thirty-seven and a half personalty. This was but little more than half the valuation of personalty in the middle "sixties." Despite the lower valua- tion of this year the total taxes levied ex- ceeded those of any preceding year with the exception of one (1877), being a little over five millions and the tax rate for 1880 rose in consequence to the third highest point it has ever reached,-$3.10 per hundred. During the decade ending 1890 valuations almost re- covered their former high point. In that year, at which time the population was 296,908, the total valuation was one hundred and seventy- eight million dollars of which a trifle over one hundred and thirty-seven millions was realty, the highest valuation with one exception (1882) as yet attained, and forty and a half millions was personalty, still far below any of the valuations of the "sixties." In 1900 the total valuation was $206,481,790, of which $164,311,260 was realty; the personalty was $42,170,530, less than two-thirds of the valua- tions for 1866 and 1867. In . 1902 the total valnation was $211,347,880 of which $169,- 360,040 was realty and $41,978,840, person- alty. The valuation of the realty in the years 1901-02 far exceeded that of any preceding years while the valuation of the personalty was about equal in amount to the personalty valuations in the carly "sixties" and about two- thirds of the valuations from 1865 to 1875. The first serious drop in personalty was in 1867 but this was quickly overcome by the in crease two years later. During the "seven- ties" the decrease was considerable and in 1882 it was about thirteen million dollars.
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There was a recovery a year later and since 1883 the tendency in personalty valuation has been downward rather than upward; this cer- tainly is a remarkable commentary on the efficacy of our tax laws.
The rate of taxation in 1826 was 65 cents on the hundred dollars, four years later it be- canie $1.10. It did not pass the two dollar mark until 1837, when the rate was $2.10. In 1842 it was $3.00. The tremendous increase in the valuation, which took place in 1847, low- ered the taxes from $2.95 to 95 cents and the rate remained below $2.00 until 1864, when it became $2.02. The maximum rate was reached in 1860; in that year the rate was $3.19 and the year following $3.16. Another great increase of over forty-five million dollars made by the in- creased valuation of real estate from seventy- nine to one hundred and twenty-three and a half millions reduced the rate to $2.22. As already stated, in 1880 it again reachced the high point of $3.10. The following year the amount of taxes levied was lowered from a little over five to three and a half million dollars and the rate was $2.22. The highest rate since that date was in 1894, when it was $2.832. The rate of tax- ation has gradually been lowered since that time until in 1902 it was $2.318 and in 1903 $2.270 on a total valuation of $215,942,390. The total taxes levied for the year 1902 were $4,899,043.86. (City Auditor's Annual Report 1902, p. 758.)
Of the taxes levied in 1904, 4.39 mills on the dollar were for education, 11.93 mills for city purposes, 1.35 mills for State purposes and 5.51 mills for county purposes.
The estimated product of the duplicate (esti- mated at $215,000,000) for corporate and school purposes for 1903 was $3,505,175 which, with receipts other than by taxation, including esti- mated balances of 1902, made a total allowance for maintenance of city departments for 1903 of $6,985,754.55. Of this, $1,092,689 comes under the head of Board of Education and $1, 197,500 under that of interest and rents. General esti- mates including contingent fund expenses of the Board of Public Service, electrician, engineer, mayor, Free Public Employment Office, city auditor, city treasurer, corporation counsel, city clerk, Board of Legislation, justices of the peace, Police Court, supervising engineer, City Hall, Board of Elections, inspector of buildings, sta- tionery storekeeper, wharfage, Board of Super- visors, superintendent track elevation and sub- ways and miscellaneous expenses amounted to $494.146.18. A large amount of this fund comes
from sources other than taxation on the general duplicate, such as the Dow tax, cigarette tax, street railroad car licenses and the Russell license receipts. Other large items are the water works, $894,825; watch, $597,000; fire, $500,000; street cleaning, $235,000; street re- pairing, $120,000; light, $354,000; trunk sewer, $222,592.15, and sinking fund, $537,500. (An- ual Report of Board of Supervisors, 1902, 1). 507.)
The actual receipts for the year 1902, as shown by the auditor's report, were $7,874,056.38 and the actual expenditures for that year $8,578,- 145.52. This was in excess of receipts, which left a balance at the end of the year of $1, 154,- 682.39.
The ordinary expenses, which included opera- tion and maintenance with the items of general government, protection of life, health and prop- erty, public service, public education, public in- terest and certain unclassified items, were $5,- 883,203.10. The extraordinary expenses, includ- ing construction, divided under headings of protection of life, health and property, public service, public education and public indebtedness, were $2,380,691.91. Trust funds including Uni- versity, Firemen's Pension, Police Relief and Groesbeck endowments, as well as expenditures by virtue of certain donations and from the sale of fire and police bonds, aggregated $305,250.51. The total expenditures under the heading of gen- eral government, which includes the legislative, executive and judicial departments, to-wit : Conn- cil, mayor, auditor, treasurer, solicitor, Sinking Fund Trustees and Board of Elections, as well as the Police, justice and Superior courts, amounted to $176,248.68. Ordinary expenditures for pro- tection of life. health and property, including the Department of Public Safety, Board of Health and Bureau of Inspection, aggregated $1, 121,- 008.53. Public service, including the Board of Public Service, public charity and correction, public ways, public institutions, public parks and public buiklings and lands, aggregated for ordi- nary expenses, $2,058,113.16. The extraordinary expenses under this head aggregated $1,479,- 841.79, of which $1,072,384.71 was for municipal water works, over $200,000 for street paving and repairing, in addition to about $200,000 for the sante purpose classed under ordinary expenses, and a little more than $135,000 for sewers, etc .. in addition to about $39,000 classed under or- dinary expenses. Public education, including the schools and the University, aggregated to $621 .- 528.00, with an item of extraordinary expendi-
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
tures of $15,970. Under the heading public in- (lebtedness, as part of the extraordinary ex- penditures, is the item of payments into the sink- ing fund from the city treasury of $885,880.12. The item of public interest refers to the payment of interest upon the funded debt, amounting to $1,867,381.58.
The total assets in the sinking fund are given as $5,162,072.05, and the bonded indebtedness of the city as $31,226,256.62, making an excess of debt of $26,064,184.57. Of these bonds, $27,- 021,452.64 are under the heading for general municipal purposes, $945,303.98 for special as- sessments, $3,187,000 for water works and $72,- 500 for electric plant. The fixed assets of the city are valued at $50,863,653.98. Of this, $30,- 000,000 is the estimated valuation of the Cin- cinnati Southern Railway and $10,000,000 of the water works. The parks, including land and equipment, are valued at $2,575,000, the City Hall at $2,500,000, wharves at $1,500,000, hos- pitals $500,000, Library $250,000, infirmaries $300,000, Work House and House of Refuge $250,000, and markets and equipment at $300,- 000. The University, Observatory and equip- ment are valued at $1,236,668.01. The fire de- partment, land, buildings and equipment, $1,308,- 085.97, and the police, land, buildings and equip- ment $143,900. Using these figures as a basis and subtracting from them the total net debts of the city ($23,370,416.66), leaves a balance in the city's favor of $27,493,237.32.
The report of the inspector of buildings shows that during the year 1902 permits for new build- ings, alterations and repairs numbered 2,571, in- volving an expenditure of $4,669,585. Among these buildings are many office and manufactur- ing buildings, three being of the fireproof sky- scraper class.
THE SEWERS.
But little had been done in the matter of providing a proper system of sewerage until the year 1851. In 1828 a committee of Council, con- sisting of Bellamy Storer and Lewis Howell, had reported to the Council certain letters re- ceived from the authorities of New York, Bos- ton, Baltimore and Philadelphia, with reference to the systems in use in those cities, but nothing further seems to have been done subsequent to the report. On January 15, 1851, H. Daniels proposed to the Council investigations on the subject of sewers and public buildings of Paris and London for a compensation at the rate of $2,000 a year, but his proposition was rejected. During the following month another proposition
was made by B. Hazart, which was laid on the table. On March 5, 1851, T. R. Scowden, the engineer of the water works, who was about to visit the World's Fair at Paris, offered to in -. vestigate the subject of sewerage in London, Paris and other cities and a committee, consist- ing of the city civil engineer and the grade com- mittee of the Council, was appointed to prepare specifications.
Mr. Scowden finally presented an elaborate re- port, accompanied by many works on the sub- ject. . On July 13, 1853, the city civil engineer made a topographical survey of the city with a view to provide for thorough drainage and sewerage of the city. This was made and a very complete report returned. It was not until October 2, 1863, that a resolution was adopted in accordance with an act of April 14, 1861, pro- viding for a thorough and complete system of sewerage. On April 1, 1864, a resolution of the Council established the first sewerage division embracing the lower part of the city south of Sixth street and between Eggleston avenue and Sixth street and the following year the improve- ment of this division commenced with the sewer- ing of Walnut street and its laterals. There were at that time sewers in Sycamore, Main, Walnut and Vine streets from the river to Pearl street, in Race, Elm and Plum to Water street, the Deer creek sewer with its laterals, Court street, Sycamore, Main and Ninth streets in the East End. In the West End was the Laurel alley and Sloo street sewer, the Wade street sewer with its extension through Green and Henry streets, the Clark street sewer, the Betts and the 14th street sewer and the Harrison ave- nue sewer from Bogen street west.
By 1866 there were 26 miles of sewers in the city. The Board of Commissioners of Sewers created in accordance with the code of 1869 began operations a year later, and in a short time 17 miles of sewers were laid. In 1872 the great Eggleston avenne sewer was constructed at a cost of over $500,000, and about the same time was built the McLean avenue sewer. At the end of that year there were. 33 miles of sewers in the city. Lick Run sewer was built in 1800-91 and Badgeley Run sewer came in 1895. The building of sewers has continued each year, until at the end of 1903 the total city sewers constructed aggregated about 240 miles in extent.
THE STREETS.
In 1902 the total number of miles of avennes, streets and alleys in the city was 640.00; of these
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390.90 were improved. The greatest number of miles was included under classification of mac- adamized avenues, etc .; of these there were 163.5 miles. Boulevards covered 65.4 miles, granite 47.5 miles, brick 45 miles, asphalt 26.5 and limestone 8 miles of avenues, streets and alleys. There were also 31 miles of macadamized roads and four miles of graveled roads. The total number of miles of brick sidewalks in the city aggregated 400.57, artificial stone 187.63 and plank 138.67. The miles of gas mains in operation were 387.33.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND ITS OCCU- PANTS. .
The old Government Building and the land at the corner of Fourth and Vine were sold March 24, 1874, to the Chamber of Commerce for the sum of $100,000. The building, at that time considered one of the most beautiful in the city, was donated by the Chamber of Com- merce to the Art Museum Association for the purpose of being reerected in Eden Park. Reuben R. Springer and David Sinton offered to do- nate the necessary funds. The project was found to be impracticable and was abandoned. The postmasters who occupied the building were .James J. Faran, succeeded in 1859 by Dr. J. L. Vattier, who in turn was succeeded in 1861 by Jolın C. Baum. In 1864 Fred J. Mayer be- came postmaster and served two years. The next postinaster was W. H. H. Taylor and after him Calvin W. Thomas. In 1869 Thomas H. Foulds became postmaster and served five years. His successor was Gustav R. Wahle, appointed in 1874. John P. Loge succeeded him in 1878, to be succeeded in turn four years later by Smith
A. Whitfield. It was during Whitfield's admin- istration that the Post Office was removed to the Government Building on Fifth street, be- tween Main and Walnut. The ground for this building, purchased in 1873, cost $696,712 and the building itself, which occupied II years in building, cost $4,553,288. It is built of Maine and Missouri granite, five stories high with base- ment and sub-basement, with a frontage of 398 feet and a depth of 192.6 feet. It is supposed to be absolutely fireproof.
The Post Office is on the ground floor. The successor to Mr. Whitfield in the Post Office was John C. Riley, who was appointed by Presi- dent Cleveland, in April, 1886. He was suc- ceeded by John Zumstein, the appointee of Pres- ident Harrison. Charles Edgar Brown was his successor and gave way in turn at the expiration of his term to the present incumbent, Capt. E. R. Monfort.
The post office inspector in charge of this di- vision, which includes Ohio, Indiana and Ken- tucky, is W. J. Vickery.
The United States courts are also located in this building, occupying the third floor. The personnel of the courts has been given.
The building also contains the offices of Amor Smith, Jr., surveyor of customs and custodian ; C. A. Bosworth. assistant United States Treas- urer ; Bernhard Bettmann, collector of internal revenue ; George H. Kolker, United States ap- praiser ; Maj. E. H. Ruffner and Col. G. J. Ly- decker, United States engineers; O. T. Hollo- way, superintendent railway mail service; S. S. Bassler, in charge of the United States Weather Bureau ; Michael P. Bolan, secret service agent ; and numerous other government officials.
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CHAPTER LI.
CINCINNATI OF RECENT DAYS
THE CENSUS OF 1880 -THE CONVENTION OF 1880 -THE FLOODS OF 1883 AND 1884 - THE RIOTS OF 1884 -THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED -THE RAILROAD LABOR RIOTS - THE OWEN LAW -CENTENNIAL YEAR - THE CENSUS OF 1890 - THE A. R. U. STRIKE - THE STREET CAR ROUTES - THE INCLINED PLANES - THE HILLTOP RESORTS - THE SPANISH WAR -THE G. A. R. ENCAMPMENT -THE JUBILEE SAENGERFEST -THE FALL FESTIVALS-NEW BUILDINGS -THE CENSUS OF 1900 -THE INDUSTRIES OF 1902.
THE CENSUS OF 1880.
The population of Cincinnati according to the census of 1880 was 255,139, an increase of almost 40,000 for the 10 years. The taxable valuc of real estate was $129,956,980, an increase of $51,220,498 over the valuation of 1870, or if comparison be made with the revised list of 1871 of the Decennial Board of Equalization an increase of $6,529,097. The value of personalty, as a result of the return to a hard money basis and the depreciation in prices, continued to de- cline. The levy of 1880 was on a valuation of $37,578,376, a decrease of about one-third of the valuation of 10 years before.
The most significant event at the opening of the new decade was the passage of the first through train over the Cincinnati Southern Rail- way from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, which oc- curred on March 8th. The completion of the road was celebrated by the wonderful Southern Railway Banquet given to 3,000 Southerners at . Music Hall March 17th. A panic in Music llall in February, which occurred during the performance of a magician, resulted in the tramp- ling and serious injury of 15 women and children, In June the affairs of the old street railroad company were wound up and the new street rail- road company took charge of the street railroads of the city. During this year the Bell and Edi- telephone exchanges were consolidated. son
During this month as well, the two cvcning newspapers, the Times and the Star consolidated under the name of the Times-Star. In Septem -. ber, Charles W. West proposed to contribute the sum of $150,000 to the founding of an art mu- seum upon conditions which were finally com- plied with and on October 9th it was announced that the necessary sum amounting to over $200,- 000 had been raised.
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