aug19.html

The Mornin' Mail is published daily Thursday, April 16, 1998 Volume VI, Number 212

Did Ya Know. . . The Carthage Crisis Center will be celebrating their first year anniversary with an open house at the Center located at 420 Lyon Street Sunday, April 19 from 2 till 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and tour the facility and meet those that are involved.

Did Ya Know. . .The Faith Lutheran church at 2134 S. Grand will hold their annual Spring Rummage Sale on Thursday, April 16 from 7:30 a.m. till 5 p.m. and Friday, April 17 from 7:30 a.m. till 2 p.m.

today's laugh

"Mr. Chairman," complained the speaker, stopping in his address, "I have been on my feet nearly ten minutes, but there is so much ribaldry and interruption, I can hardly hear myself speak."

"Cheer up, guv’nor," came a voice from the rear, "you ain’t missin’ much."

The man at the theater was annoyed by the conversation in the row behind.

"Excuse me," he said, "but we can’t hear a word."

"Oh," replied the talkative one, "and is it any business of yours what I’m telling my wife?"

"What’s the best cure for seasickness?"

"Give it up."

1898
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

WOMAN IN A CISTERN.

A Big Crowd, Ropes and Ladder Attracted to the Scene - Walker Boon Played Hero and Lifted the Old Lady from the Frigid Water.

Between 11 o'clock and noon today that part of Carthage in the vicinity of Maple and Tenth streets was aroused by the loud cries of a woman who rushed about the neighborhood shouting that her mother had "fallen in the well."

A score of neighbors hastened to the little house at the southwest corner of Maple and Tenth streets in response to the cries. There they found that Mrs. Margaret Wallace, an elderly woman, who lives in the house with her two daughters, Mrs. Eliza Smalding and Mrs. James Askins, was in the cistern at the rear of the house, calmly standing in water up to her neck.

Willing hands were quickly at work to rescue her from her perilous position. The entire south end of town seemed to learn of the mishap at once and in a few minutes there was a perfect mob of people assembled. At least three ladders were brought and as many ropes.

A rope was lowered to her, but she made no effort to take hold of it or to extricate herself, and Walker Boon, who was in the crowd, stepped boldly to the front to save her. A ladder was lowered into the inky depths of the cistern and Walker went down, tied the rope about the woman's shoulders and throwing his arms about her steadied her as she was hoisted to the surface.

When she was safely on terra firma she gasped, "How did you know I was in there?" This, with other circumstances, leads to the belief that the old lady attempted suicide by drowning.

She is about 50 years old and has been ill for some time, suffering from a nervous trouble, but no other cause can be assigned for the rash act, if it was an attempt to end her life.

The aperture at the top of the cistern is very small and she could hardly have slipped or fallen in unintentionally, and this fact adds color to the suicide theory.

When a reporter called at the house at noon today, he was greeted with "I don't want nothing said about it at all," from Mrs. Askins, and that was the sum of all the information which could be elicited from her, she finally leaving the reporter alone on the porch and retiring into the house.

Today's Feature

Outgoing Council Has Strong Finish.

The outgoing City Council voted for an increase in future members individual expense checks, kept their traditional Christmas light stance, and voted down an incentive program for the 71A Partnership development during Council’s last few minutes of service last Tuesday night.

The ordinance to increase Council members monthly expense check from $50 to $75 was introduced at the last Council meeting by outgoing member Bill Johnson. Johnson told the Council that there had not been an adjustment in the 14 years he had been on the Council and felt the increase was warranted. Charlie Bastin repeatedly stated that the Council wasn’t worth it. Bastin, Lugene Clark, and Bill Fortune voted against the measure.

Member Mike Harris was not at the meeting due to business travel. His absence was critical in the vote on the proposed 71A Partnership development plan. The vote for approval was 5-4 but a majority, 6, of the sitting Council is required to pass. The Harris vote would have enabled passage if affirmative, or would have created a tie if he voted against. In the latter case, Mayor Riley would have voted to break the 5-5 tie. It was apparent that the Mayor favored the proposal.

Mike Woody, one of the 71A partners, was at the meeting and was surprised at the defeat of the measure that would have used fifty percent of new City sales tax generated by the development to help pay for infrastructure costs. The agreement would have given the Partnership up to fifteen years to recoup their investment of up to $900,000 in infrastructure, which included road, water and wastewater, and two traffic signals.

Initial development plans, which have been working their way through committee hearings since last fall, gave a detailed estimated land use. The list of possible uses included three motels, a home center, five restaurants, a shopping center, and office space.

Council member J.D. Whitledge told the Council that he felt the City should not be interfering with the free enterprise system and he would not vote for the plan. Members Lujene Clark, Donna Harlan, and Charlie Bastin also voted against.

With the installation of three new Council members, the after-meeting discussion centered on a possible reconsideration of the bill at the next Council meeting. Some effort was made by supporters to quickly educate the new members of the positive aspects of the program.

The issue of when the City Christmas lights would be turned on was brought back to the floor by Council member Bill Johnson. He opposed the Council’s decision to not turn them on until after Thanksgiving.

He said that when the motion was made, during the last Council meeting to allow the lights be lit on November 13, supporters of the proposal were not allowed to address the Council.

The Council voted to allow the opportunity and Chamber Director Heather Kelly and business owner Jack Vandergriff spoke on the benefits of the early date. After respectfully listening, the Council quickly voted again to kill the early date. There was no movement in the way individual members voted. Johnson, Boyer, Dunaway, and Henry voted for. Harlan, Clark, Whitledge, Bastin, Fortune voted against. Harris had also voted against at the earlier meeting.

Victorian Carthage President Jo Ellis told the Council that even though Kelly read a letter from the Director of the historic organization endorsing the early date, the Victorian Carthage Board had not taken a stance on the issue.

Similarly, Carthage Main Street took no official public stance on the issue. Director Diane Sharits told the Mornin’ Mail that the issue had never been discussed by the Main Street Board.

City Budget hearings are scheduled to begin next Wednesday.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

First Ward outgoing Council member Nolan Henry gave what he called his "last big speech" near the end of his last Council meetin’ on Tuesday. Newly elected Fifth Ward representative Don Stearnes complemented outgoin’ member Lujene Clark for her two years on the Council. Bill Johnson made his last comments as a Council member after 14 years of service. Former Mayor Riley once again praised the efforts of the Council members and all of the volunteers that help to make the City a better place to live.

All in all, it was a down right civil transfer of power. The new committee appointments were fairly well accepted and the work of puttin’ a budget together begins in earnest next week. The newcomers and the old hands (nothin’ personal) will have a short honeymoon.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.