USA > Wisconsin > Marathon County > History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and representative citizens > Part 31
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A ten-acre lot was given to the Marathon County Granite Company, which located its works thereon, removing the same from Heights, in this county, which has since become one of the leading industries of Wausan.
With a view of raising the efficiency of the police department, the mayor soon after coming into office, drew up "Rules for the Government of the Police Force," printed and had them bound in neat book form with leather cover to be carried by each police officer. Besides the rules, it contained a statement of "Advice to Young Policemen," and also such ordinances the enforcement of which depends more particularly upon the police department, and the police and fire commission notified the police force that they, the commissioners, would be governed by these rules and expected every police officer to yield prompt obedience to them. These rules have been in force ever since without change and have accomplished the purpose for which they were made.
The condition of the waterworks was investigated for the first time and the cause discovered for the unsatisfactory supply, but as a remedy could not be immediately agreed upon, the mayor undertook to cleanse the pipe system of the plants growing therein, by a thorough and energetic flush- ing of the whole system, continuously kept up under his own personal direc- tion, supervision and observation, which while it could not remove the cause, diminished the growth of, and effect of it, the Xenotrix, the only plant which can grow in water without some light. All this was accomplished without raising taxes, if anything rather reducing them.
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E. C. ZIMMERMANN.
1904-The last three years had been prosperous ones for business as well as for the municipality. The street work done in the last three years had given the city a fine, clean appearance. The macadamizing was done directly by the city, not by contractors; the costs were divided between city and property holders, the city paying one-half, the property holder on each side of the street one-quarter. This sort of pavement became very popular be- cause under a good management, the costs were low, and there were petitions from freeholders for that sort of pavement, to keep up the work from year to year.
As much and more in the line of improvements was expected from the next administration, and as much of the success of the city government depends upon the mayor as its executive head, E. C. Zimmermann was urged to become a candidate, and after much hesitation, only yielding to the im- portunities of his many friends, he consented to comply with their wishes, and was elected mayor.
Under his administration the work of improvements begun was faithfully continued. Nearly four miles of streets were macadamized, the steel bridge connecting first and seventh wards, costing $20,000, was completed, and a roadway built from the bridge to Grand avenue. A system of municipal street sprinkling was inaugurated; Stiensfield creek was put under ground, the Leahy & Beebe bridge repaired, the waterworks system extended where it was needed, a schoolhouse site purchased in the southwestern part for $2,000 and a municipal wiring system for lighting the streets installed.
The successful carrying on of municipal work directly by the munici- pality in street work, sprinkling. cleaning and ownership of the waterworks, created a desire for a municipal street lighting plant, and as the city was in a healthy financial condition the matter was carefully investigated. A dis- tinguished electrical engineer, Mr. Jacob Klos, of Milwaukee, worked out a complete plan for the installation of the plant, to be operated in connection with the pumping station of the waterworks and cost of lines and costs of operation, complete and reliable in estimates in every particular. The Elec- tric Light Company then submitted two propositions, namely :
I. To light the city at a certain fixed price per lamp.
2. In case the city should prefer to erect its system of poles, wires and lamps, the company to furnish the electrical current for 2 3/10 cents per K. W. After a careful examination of the price submitted and an accurate estimate of the costs of generating the current, Mr. Jacob Klos gave it as his
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opinion, based upon his experience and knowledge, that the electric current could not be generated at so low a cost by the city, from engines operated by fuel under the most favorable circumstances. The city then accepted the second proposition, erected its pole and wire line at a cost of $12,000, in- cluding 125 lamps of the newest and best pattern. The costs of the lights averaged somewhat less than $35.00 per light.
The erection of this pole line for municipal lighting was an excellent move. It secured to the city cheap lighting. If the corporation engaged in lighting would not be willing to sell the current to the city at reasonable rates after the expiration of a contract, it would take but a short time to set up the machinery for generating the current. The city-owned pole and wire line is a standing notice and warning to the Electric Lighting Company to furnish the current at a fair price. It has done so and will continue to do so, as it is in its interest, being able to generate the electric current by its water power cheaper than the city can by using fuel, even though the munic- ipal plant should be operated with the same economy and intelligence, hav- ing due regard to the continual advancements made in electric lighting, which it must be confessed, however, is not always the case.
At the beginning of the year 1904 the city had $35,000 in the sinking fund applicable to the payment of the debt of $90,000 for waterworks. It was thought advisable, and very properly so, to make a new loan of $125,000 to take up the water bonds, and keep the balance, together with the $35,000 in the sinking fund to pay for the expenses of putting Stiensfield's creek under ground, to provide the northeast part of the city with sewerage, an extensive undertaking, and set aside a balance of $40,000 for the building of a new city hall, and an ordinance was passed to this effect, providing that this fund of $40,000 could not be used for any other purpose.
New bonds to that amount were issued and sold at a price making the net interest payable thereon 3.85 per cent, the lowest interest on bonds ever issued before or after. At the close of the administration of Mayor Zim- mermann the debt of the city was $194.000, but that included the sum of $40,000 borrowed for a city hall, which was on hand in the treasury, and no unpaid bills were outstanding to be settled by the incoming administration.
The administration of Mayor Zimmermann was very creditable to him, and his refusal to stand for reelection was much regretted. The city had made great strides forward in the last five years, had in fact become a modern city and presented an attractive appearance. It had spread out, new facto- ries employing high-priced labor had come in, and Wausau merited the title
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of "The Pearl of the Wisconsin." The tax levy for the year 1904 for city purposes was $112,205.07; for the year 1905. $106,793.76.
M. H. DUNCAN.
1906-1908-M. H. Duncan was elected mayor in 1906. He had been in business for a good many years, conducting a harness shop; he was also engaged in farming in the town of Texas, interesting himself in the raising of blooded cattle, and some of his stock had been awarded first prizes. He was one of the most active members of the Marathon County Agricultural Society, and in cooperation with other stockraisers and farmers made the Marathon County Fair a great success in later years. Before his election as mayor, he was one of the executive officers of the Marathon County Agri- cultural Society, and its secretary for some years. At the time of his election as mayor it was a time of general prosperity and demands for civic improve- ments made themselves felt more and more. Under his administration there was laid a sewer on Grand avenue from the railroad cut south to the Stur- geon Eddy road, and west on this road to the Wisconsin river, making a new sewer outlet, which was badly needed. The laying of that sewer necessitated the remacadamizing of that portion of Grand avenue where the pavement had been torn up by the digging of the sewer. Franklin School was enlarged for which purpose bonds to the amount of $48,000 were issued; the water tower on East Hill was built and halfway up the hill a building was put up for the housing of an electrical engine to force the water from the main system up into the tower. A better water supply than the water from the tunnel made in 1895 was sought to be obtained by sinking thirty 6-inch drive wells in the ground near and around the pumping station, to the depth of one hundred and thirty-five feet. These wells furnished excellent water, but the supply was found to be wholly insufficient and the water from the tunnel dug in 1895 was still used, so that the sought for relief was not obtained.
These drive wells, together with the erection of the water tower, which was built for the purpose of supplying people living on the hill with drinking water from the waterworks, and also for fire protection, and the further extension of the water mains were expensive works, and the $40,000 set aside for the building of a city hall was drawn upon and used for general purposes. Nearly four miles of street were macadamized, and these streets looking better than the first streets on which cedar pavement was laid. which by this time had become quite rotten, caused a demand for a better pavement
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on the main business streets, without, however, settling upon any particular pavement.
With the close of the administration in the spring of 1908, the net debt of the city had risen to $220,000, and the city hall fund which had been expended for other purposes, was levied again by taxes. The tax levy for all city purposes for the year 1906 was $136.467.15; for the year 1907, $161,070.06.
JOHN F. LAMONT.
1908-1912-John F. Lamont was elected mayor in 1908 and reelected in 1910. He had been county superintendent of schools of Marathon county from January 1, 1895, to July 1, 1905, having served for ten years and six months, when he declined to be a candidate for the office.
At the time of his election to the office of county superintendent, he was a resident of the town of Hull, where his father had been one of the pioneers, having operated one of the first saw mills on the Wisconsin Central line, almost simultaneously with the building of the railroad to Colby, which he operated for many years. John F. Lamont took up his residence in Wausau after his election as superintendent, holding his office in the courthouse, and at the close of his term formed a copartnership with E. C. Kretlow in the real-estate and insurance business.
The work of his administration in its main features may be summed up as follows: The purchase of another steam fire engine, giving the city two steam engines, besides the pressure from the waterworks to combat fire; the erection of two fire stations, one on the northeast and one on the south- west end of the city, and a corresponding increase in the number of firemen and teams; the building of the Grant School in the 6th ward at a cost of $65,000; the laying of a sewer from Franklin street on Seventh street into the Stiensfield creek sewer, and another sewer to drain Maple and Spruce streets and contiguous territory into Elm street sewer. A large concrete sewer was ordered to be built to drain the northwest side and put a creek under ground, having an outlet at the Leahy & Beebe bridge. The water- works system was greatly enlarged by the sinking of ten 10-inch drive wells 135 feet deep for an additional water supply at the pumping station, which were connected with the existing thirty 6-inch drive wells, but the good effect from them is not yet realized, because the separate strong pump which was planned to be used to draw the water from these wells was not obtained, and the old pumps were used instead, which proved insufficient for that pur- pose, and because the pipes were not cleaned of the obnoxious growth of the
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Xenotrix, the plant growing in the pipes. Third street from Forest to Grant streets was paved with creosoted wood blocks, and Washington from Third to Fourth streets with brick. A 14-inch water main was laid through Canal street as far south as the railroad cut on Grand avenue and across the river, and as far. west as Fifth avenue, the object being to obtain a complete circu- Iation of the water in the mains and increase the volume for fire protection. With this extension of water mains, the system can now supply a city of twenty-five thousand people.
No steps were taken for the building of a city hall, except a plan was procured from Ryan & Gellecke, Milwaukee architects, and the money set aside for that purpose was drawn upon for other purposes.
The market square on which the building was contemplated to be erected, -was first sold to the city for a nominal sum upon condition that it should be used as a market square, but in 1903, when the adjoining property was bought for a city hall site, the former grantors of the market square gave their permission to such a change of the use of the place. The additional property was purchased for a very reasonable sum upon condition that a city hall should be erected on the market square within ten years, and if not so erected, the grantors reserved the right to demand a reconveyance to them upon payment to the city of the purchase price. There were two houses on this property, which were sold by the city and removed a few years afterwards, and the real estate had meanwhile greatly increased in value. It was a cer- tainty that unless the city hall was built within the ten years stipulated, the original grantors or their representatives would demand a reconveyance, in which case the city would have to pay for the two houses sold, leaving but very little of any part of the purchase price due to the city. The ten year term was nearing its end, and instead of creating a larger fund by small levies which would be little felt if at all, as was the original plan, this fund had been used for other purposes. There was danger that the site would be lost to the city, and no other could be obtained except at an exorbitant price, or in an out of the way place, if a city hall would be built at all.
To bring this matter to an issue, one Hans Weik, in his own behalf and for other taxpayers, brought suit against the city and obtained a temporary injunction restraining it from again using the fund except for the purpose for which it was levied. The city defended on the ground it might use it as it saw fit, but the supreme court of the state sustained the contention of the plaintiff, and from that time on the fund was kept intact .*
* 145 Wis. 645.
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This judgment was rendered at the close of the year 1910, after the tax levy was made for that year. Nevertheless the city took no step towards building, but submitted the question whether or not to build, to a vote of the people in the spring election of 1912.
The only ground ever urged against beginning building was, that there was not sufficient money on hand, yet there was no compunction against using it for other purposes, nor was that fund increased by one cent since the levy was first made, leaving a suspicion in the minds of many that there must be another motive for this procrastination.
The cost of the drive wells together was somewhere near $60,000, much more than estimated by the engineer in charge, but in order to receive the full benefit of that system a new, stronger pump was planned at the same time, which was to be lowered about twelve feet below the old pumps, to obtain better suction. This engine was not set up, however, until the winter of 1913. when the unsatisfactory condition of the water service peremptorily demanded its installation.
MUNICIPAL LIGHTING PLANT.
The question of installing a municipal lighting plant turned up again when, in 1911, the contract for furnishing the current to the city by the street railway expired. Mr. W. F. Lusk, a waterworks engineer, who was then supervising the sinking of the deep water wells, was requested to make an estimate of the costs of a plant, and gave it as his opinion that a plant could be installed and the current generated at the station for I cent per k. w .; which was 1 3/10 cent less than what the city paid for the current furnished by the Electric Light Company.
In the full confidence of this report the city desired to install their plant, but before it could do so, it had to make application to the State Commission of Public Utilities for a permit to do so, under Section 1797, M-74 Revised Statutes of Wisconsin, and prove to the satisfaction of that commission that public convenience and necessity required the installation of the plant. A hearing before the commission was had, the city relied on the evidence of their engineer, W. F. Lusk, to prove his contention that electricity could be generated by a plant owned by the city for a lesser price than the price it was paying. It is enough here to say, that the contention of the city or the statement of the costs as estimated by its consulting engineer, W. F. Lusk, was not proven, that the estimates were unreliable, and that the current was
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furnished to the city at a reasonable price. The state commission then refused to permit the city to engage in the lighting business.
After the hearing the city did not make a new contract for lighting, but received the current, and the Street Railroad Company which furnished the same, reduced the price charged, so that it now charges a fixed price of $2.10 for each arch light, and a corresponding rate for ornamental lights. A comparison of the cost of lighting the city with electricity with the cost in other cities, is much in favor of Wausau.
With the close of the administration in the spring of 1912, the city's net interest-bearing debt in bonds and state debts was $255,000, and there was a large floating debt, which was taken up in 1913 by issuing $35,000 school bonds, and a debt created for the water system improvement, which with other expenses for the same purpose, mainly for the pump, was covered by the issue of $40,000 water bonds in October, 1912.
The total tax levy for all city purposes for the year 1908 was $204,456.90, for the year 1909 it was $130.353.79, for 1910 it was $154,262.44, and for the year 1911 it was $168,823.50.
COMMISSION FORM OF CITY GOVERNMENT.
Towards the latter part of the year 1911 there was much talk about the advantages of the commission form of governing cities. It had been first tried out in the city of Galveston after the great flood in that city in the year 1900 and had proved a blessing for that city, and some other cities, notably Des Moines, Iowa, followed that example. A law was enacted by the Legislature of Wisconsin in 1909, for the government of a city by a mayor and two commissioners, and amended by Chapter 387, Laws of 1911, providing that upon petition duly filed the question, whether a city would prefer this form to the charter government, should be submitted to a vote of the people, the majority of the electors to decide the question which should then be binding as a law. A petition was duly filed in time and the question submitted to a vote prior in time to the annual charter election, to elect officers under the commission form, in case it should be adopted. It is an undeniable fact that many people favored the commission form, but there was also opposition, and no doubt some good grounds could be urged against it as well as for it. To be governed entirely by three men, who were the legislative as well as the executive power in their own person, is some- thing new in this country, to which people were not yet accustomed. Under the circumstances under which it was inaugurated in Galveston, there was
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everything in its favor. That city was ruined by the sea which swept over the city, carrying desolation and destruction in its wake. The city was nearly destroyed, and there was no time for hesitation, procrastination or even deliberation. Something had to be done, an almost absolute power had to be entrusted by the people to a centralized government, and the people were willing to submit without murmur to such a government in order to save themselves from ruination, which stared them in the face. An enlight- ened, just and absolute government can accomplish many things in short time, which a deliberative body cannot do-at least not in that short time. But history also teaches that an absolute government may become oppressive, or incompetent as well as imbecile, and many people were afraid to take suddenly a plunge in this sea of uncertainty. The German Alliance, an organization representing some German societies, having taken a stand against the change, was invited to a public discussion of the merits and demerits of the commission form, and they chose John Ringle and Anton Mehl as their representatives. The other side was represented by W. H. Wilcox of Eau Claire, and A. C. Schmidt of Wausau. The debate was held in the Opera House, which was filled to its utmost capacity, and during the debate it became apparent that the opponents were in a large majority.
At the election the people voted against commission form, as already indicated in the meeting at the Opera House, and John Ringle, who was one of the spokesmen against it, was chosen and prevailed upon to offer himself for mayor, his aid, Anton Mehl, having absolutely refused to be considered as a candidate.
In the following election he was elected, receiving within three hundred votes as many as both the socialistic and independent candidates together. The other question which was submitted to the people was "Shall a new city hall be built ?"
As has already been mentioned, this question has been before the city council for the last six years, and to avoid any responsibility the outgoing administration left the matter to be decided by the people directly. When this was done in the council it was surmised that the proposition would be defeated, because it was made by an outspoken opponent of the project. A few courageous men, who saw the need for the building and the danger of losing the splendid site, signed and published an address, recommending the project to a favorable vote of the people, unless the opponents could show a better site for its location. No one replied to that address, for it was patent that no better location could be secured. The election was a surprise to the faint-hearted and the prejudiced ones. Every ward without exception voted in favor, and the proposition to build was carried by a majority of 800.
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JOHN RINGLE.
1912-John Ringle assumed the duties of mayor again in 1912, after an interval of twenty-seven years of his first term in that office.
He held more important positions in public life for a generation or more than any other man in Marathon county. He came with his parents to Wau- sau in the year 1859, attended the Wausau school and two years at the Madison University. Returning from Madison, he was clerk in the office of the county clerks, B. Ringle and Jacob Paff, thus becoming early familiar with county affairs. He made the first abstract of titles to Mara- thon county lands, which he afterwards sold and which is now owned by the Wausau Law and Land Association as part of their complete abstract of titles; he then served six years as county clerk; then as member of assembly in the sessions of 1879-1880 and 1881, and again in the session of 1893. While in the assembly in 1879 he was instrumental in defeating the bill which had already passed the senate, to exempt the lands of the Wisconsin Central Railroad from taxation, to the great relief of the population of the western part of the county, and subsequently defeated the scheme for the division of the county. When county clerk he induced the city to purchase a forty- acre tract of county lands for $40, which is the forty-acre tract on which the isolated hospital is located, by which the city got a forty-acre tract which it still owns and which is a very valuable tract today for many purposes.
He was elected to the senate in 1882 and mayor of Wausau in 1884. When the question, whether the city should own and operate a waterworks system was before the council in the early part of 1885, it was through his influence that the measure was carried through; he was chairman of the board of supervisors when the board determined to build the present court- house, and he secured a reconsideration of the vote by which the project seemed defeated, and upon reconsideration of that vote secured favorable action. From 1893 to 1897 he served as postmaster of Wausau, and again as supervisor from 1901 to 1904, and for over thirty years as member of the school board.
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