History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

307

of water commissioners, petitioned the mayor March 25, 1895, that
W. H. Brummit, of the First ward, be appointed an associate member
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J. D. Norton. Such appointment was made.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM INAUGURATED
The people of Pontiac voted in favor of expending, at most, $25,000
on a sewerage system, at the general election of November 28, I894. A
special committee presented a bill to be introduced to the legislature
looking to that end, and also to legalize the creation of a board of
sewer commissioners. The bill was adopted and the council requested
their legislative representatives to use their best efforts at Lansing to
have it passed into law.
In 1897, 250,103,010 gallons were pumped by the city waterworks,
and 267,195,I80 gallons in I898.
EXTENSION OF WATERWORKS
Superintendent H. G. Monroe, in compliance with a request from
the board of public works, on May 24, I900, submitted an estimate of
the cost for required improvements in the waterworks. The items included $14,000 for an air-lift plant, with a daily capacity of five million
gallons; $i8,8oo for pumping machinery of like capacity, and $17,200
for extension of the water mains.
On September 23, I901, the council adopted a resolution accepting
the bid of the Snow Pump Works of Buffalo, New York, for furnishing and erecting on foundation a five million-gallons daily capacity pumping engine (triple expansion, high duty) for $2I,ooo, in line with the
recommendation of Superintendent Monroe. On January Io, I902,
the board of public works employed I-. L. Monroe as third engineer
at the waterworks. It appears from the report made by the board in
May of that year that the water bond sale realized $53,333.78, to be
applied to the improvement of the waterworks.
The $Io,ooo bonds for remodeling the fire hall were awarded to
Dennison & Farnsworth, of Cleveland, oh May 6, I907.
The report of the finance committee of the common council March
4, I90I, contains the following on the then financial status: "The city
has a bonded indebtedness of $25,000 sewer bonds bearing five per
cent interest per annum; water bonds, $85,ooo, bearing four and a half
per cent, and $56,ooo special assessment paving bonds, bearing five per
cent.
"The following is a statement of the salaries paid the officers of the
city per annum: Mayor, $50; ten aldermen, each $50; clerk, $720; city
treasurer, $600; attorney, $Ioo and not to exceed $300 for special
services; health officer, $Ioo; city engineer, $Ioo; city marshal, $6oo;
chief of fire department, $50; assistant chief, $25; two night police, each
$700; drivers of hose cart and hook and ladder. each $500; hose company of fourteen members, each $65; city assessor, $600."
Vol. I-20