and Agricultural and Mechanical College

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Arts

in

Robert Brantley Cagle, Jr.

B.A., McNeese State College, 1965

                 ABSTRACT

                 CHAPTER

                     I. THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF LAKE CHARLES TO 1890

                     II. THE EMERGENCE OF CITY POLITICS, 1890-1900

                     III. THE DECLINE OF ALDERMANIC POLITICS, 1900-1909

                     IV. LAKE CHARLES ADOPTS "BUSINESS" GOVERNMENT, 1910-1916

                     V. LAKE CHARLES MATURES, 1916-1930

                     VI. SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION

                 BIBLIOGRAPHY

                APPENDIX

                     A. CHARTER OF 1867

                     B. PROPOSED CHARTER OF 1889

                    C. PROPOSED CHARTER OF 1894

                     D. PROPOSED CHARTER OF 1899

                     E. CHARTER OF 1912

                     F. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

                 VITA

Not until the late 1880’s did municipal politics attain significance; by 1890 the campaigns were considerably more competitive and spirited, and Lake Charles began to attain an awareness that, no longer a hamlet, the people had to face problems of city government.

In the years 1890-1900, the outdated 1867 charter was amended after two failures to meet the new city demands. During the period from 1900 to 1909, this new charter, which specified a revision of the old aldermanic system of government, was tried and found unsuccessful.

The years 1910-1916 were marked by a recovery that was both economic and political; almost the entire business district was rebuilt, and the new commission government made notable progress in civic improvement.

THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT OF LAKE CHARLES TO 1890

The early political development of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was secondary to settlers’ economic and social adjustments to the area. The first years of incorporation were by an influx of settlers from several parts of the United States, first by those seeking new opportunities of livelihood and later by refugees from the ravages of Civil War and Reconstruction. The economic incentives of settlement - lumbering and agriculture - remained dominant until the later part of the nineteenth century. Incorporation of the village in 1861, and re-incorporation in 1867, failed to bring about a change in the political apathy of the citizenry. It was not until the end of the 1880’s that political developments began to parallel those of the expanding economy.

The original inhabitants of Lake Charles were South and Central American Indian tribes, who made periodic visits to the area. These tribes were followed by the first permanent inhabitants, the Atakapas, cannibalistic tribesmen who occupied the area before the time of Christ. According to a trader from the Lafitte Commune, this tribe remained cannibalistic as late as 1810. (1) The first permanent white settler in the area was Martin LeBleu, a native of Bordeaux, France, who, in 1781, established his home near English Bayou, six miles east of the present site of Lake Charles. Although LeBleu never lived in Lake Charles, his family directly and indirectly had a prominent influence on the political, economic, and social development of the vicinity. (2) Two years after LeBleu’s arrival, Charles Sallier, a New Orleans Spaniard, reached the area. Sallier first settled near the mouth of the Calcasieu River on land purchased from the Indians; however, when he married Catherine LeBleu in 1803, he moved to the lakefront and became the first white man to erect a home on the site of the city of Lake Charles.(3)

Lake Charles was first known as "Charlie’s Lake." By 1860, it was being called "Charleston" or "Charles Town." During the period before 1860, Charlie’s Lake was a familiar stopping point for wayfarers and traders. (4)

In 1815 white settlers from the Atlantic seaboard states began arriving in southwest Louisiana. This influx in 1817 brought Jacob Ryan, originally of Georgia, who had settled for a short time in Vermillion Parish. Ryan and his family settled on the west bank of the Calcasieu River at a place later called Vincent Settlement. He remained there until his death in 1850. (5) The chief motivation for settlement between 1815 and 1842 was the availability of the Rio Hondo claims, which originated from a boundary dispute between Spain and the United States. These claims stretched along the bayous from Natchitoches to Hackberry. (6) In order to tighten its claim on the disputed territory between the Sabine and Calcasieu (Arroyo Hondo) Rivers, the United States made liberal offers of land to settlers. This promise of landed opportunity attracted to the area "stalwart sons of the Old South" - Tennesseans, Carolinians, and Georgians "whose intrepid characters and long rifles did more to settle the boundary question than any display of force could have done." (7) Although there was never any open conflict over the disputed territory, Colonel James B. Many sent a Major Burch to Lake Charles on November 20, 1829, to establish Camp Atkinson to defend the area. The troops were with drawn three years later. (8)

A second wave of settlers began to enter Lake Charles in the latter part of the 1830’s. Thomas Bilbo, along with James Barnett, arrived in Lake Charles in1837. 1850 brought Jacob Ryan, Jr., who had served as sheriff of Calcasieu from1846 to 1850. James Hodges, who was one of the early merchants of Lake Charles, and William Hutchinson, entered the area in 1857. (9) All of these settlers were either farmers, traders, or merchants. The first professional man to enter Lake Charles was Samuel Adams Kirby. A native of Vermont, who had graduated from Middleburry Law School in that state. Kirby moved to the South hoping to improve his poor health. The first lawyer in Lake Charles, Kirby’s tenure in the area was brief, but during that time, he did more for the early development of the town than any other resident. (10) Jacob Ryan is commonly referred to as the "Father of Lake Charles;" however, according to Miss Maud Reid, this is only because Ryan outlived Kirby and the influence of the Kirby family was not felt after the attorney’s death. (11)

Captain Daniel Goos, a native of Schlesweg-Holstein, came to Lake Charles in 1855 and established his home in the northern part of town. The economic destiny of Lake Charles for the rest of the nineteenth century was greatly influenced by this man’s arrival. Before the appearance of Goss, the lumber industry was dominated by Jacob Ryan and a few others, who, during favorable weather, produced five hundred board feet of lumber per day. After Goos established his small sawmill, the lumber business showed a notable increase. It was the Goos mill, which provided most of the wood for the building of Lake Charles. Following the establishment of the Goss mill, Lake Charles began to gain recognition as a significant industrial center. (12) By 1858 the combined increase in production of the Goos and Ryan mills caused considerable trade to develop between Lake Charles and Galveston, Texas. (13)

From 1840 to 1867 the political development of Lake Charles was almost inseparable from that of Calcasieu parish. On March 20, 1840, approximately one-fourth of Louisiana was organized into a section known as "Imperial Calcasieu," which was made up of the present parishes of Cameron, Beauregard, Allen, Jefferson Davis, and Calcasieu. (14) At the first Police Jury meeting, held at the home of Arsene Le Bleu on March 24, 1840, the parish seat was located at Comas Bluff, later named Marion after the Revolutionary leader Francis Marion. At the same meeting, Michael Pithon, representative from Ward 3, was elected first president of the Police Jury. (15)

In 1852 Jacob Ryan journeyed to New Orleans and received permission from the State government to move the parish seat, wherever, whenever, and however he wished. That same year Ryan, along with Samuel Kirby, transferred the parish courthouse and jail to Lake Charles, which was at that time called Charleston. (16)

By 1857, the small village of Charleston had shed its "backwoods atmosphere." (17) In 1859, Lake Charles was a thriving agricultural center, producing fruit, vegetables, and other agricultural goods. (18) Since 1840 the population had gradually increased, and as one historian has put it, the "old settlers and newcomers were close in fellowship, united by the common objective of wrestling a living from the various sources around them."(19) By 1860 Lake Charles had reached a population of 430.(20) On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston , Louisiana, (21) although the name of the town appeared as "Lake Charles" in the Police Jury Minutes. (22)

In 1852 and 1856, Calcasieu Parish went Democratic in the presidential election. On November 6, 1860, Lake Charles joined the rest of the parish in voting Democratic again. J. C. Breckinridge polled 396 votes, while Stephen A. Douglas polled none. John Bell of the Constitutional Union Party received the remaining twenty-four votes. (23)

At the time of the Civil War, no official actions were taken or official town records kept, in order to avoid capture by the Union forces. (24) The only governing body was the Police Jury, which administered authority and appointed Patrolman Charles Glasspool as the only town official for the duration of the war. (25)

Charleston ("Lake Charles") was not materially hindered by the Civil War, because it was too far west of the actual hostilities. Its People, however, were very active in the war effort, responding to the demand for both troops and supplies. (26) The men of the community participated in five military organizations and later played a role in the 1862 campaigns. (27) During the war, Yankee gunboats ventured up the Calcasieu River, but only once was here an actual engagement. In 1863 two federal gunboats, the Granite City and the Wave, were attacked and captured by Green’s Brigade in a brief battle at the mouth of the Calcasieu River. The two vessels were taken to Lake Charles, and the wounded were conveyed to Goosport where they recuperated at the home of Daniel Goos. (28) Except for this incident and the bombardment of the town, Civil War activities within Lake Charles were limited to caring for neglected families of volunteers, which was the concern of a committee headed by Joseph Sallier and William Holland. (29)

With the conclusion of hostilities, Lake Charles again began to flourish. Not only was the town spared from the Civil War, but it was also for all practical purposes exempted from the fraud, violence, intimidation, and political unrest of Reconstruction. (30) In June of 1866, George H. Wells a native of Schenectady, New York, established his law practice in Lake Charles. At that time, Lake Charles had no newspaper, railroad, or telegraph line and relied on one small store with an inventory of less than $100. (31) On the south side of the lake, Goss built a new mill, which had a capacity of eight thousand feet of lumber a day. By 1869 the lumber mills of George Rock, W. H. Norris, A. J. Perkins, and L. C. Dees had a combined production of approximately 1,217,000 board feet of lumber, which was shipped principally to Gulfport, Mississippi via 128 schooners. (32)

After the war, the leading mill owners of Lake Charles faced two problems. The first problem, that of a labor shortage, was partly solved by encouraging the settlement of people from abroad; William E. Krebbs states, "in consequence this section now boasts (sic) a citizenry unsurpassed." The shortage was further answered by the internal immigration of Civil War veterans, both Union and Confederate, who were searching for an area that had been practically untouched by the wrath of the war. Securing a regular and steady supply of logs was the second problem, which confronted the mill owners. They solved it through specialized production and management techniques. (33) After overcoming these difficulties, Lake Charles developed into a "sawmill focus," due to its good location on the lake and the fact that Calcasieu Pass was made an official port of entry after the war. (34)

Six years after Lake Charles was incorporated, dissatisfaction over the name of Charleston occurred. On March 16, 1867, Charleston Louisiana was incorporated into the town of Lake Charles. Under the terms of Louisiana Act 79, the Town Council was to consist of a mayor and five aldermen, to be elected on the first Monday of June each year. (35) For the following forty-five years the political development of Lake Charles was centered around the aldermanic form of government.

From 1866 to 1868, Lake Charles had improved more rapidly in general appearance than in the ten years before the war. (36) By order of General R.C. Buckman, the first town election was held on June 17, 1868. For the first few years, the municipal primaries were almost void of political competition. (37) On July 6, 1868, the first municipal officials took office; thus the political history of Lake Charles and Ward 3, as an individual political entity, had begun. At the first council meeting, which took place in the courthouse, the following men took their positions as aldermen: William H, Kirkman, B.R. Stoddard, William G. Kebbe, J. B. Kirkman, and Joseph S. Bilbo. (38)

The first mayor of Lake Charles was John W. Bryan, who was born in Calcasieu on December 28, 1834. He had served with the Confederacy as a captain and had distinguished himself as a commander of a regiment during the siege of Vicksburg. He returned to Lake Charles in 1868, and thereafter, besides his official duties as mayor, taught school, ran a general merchandising store, sold real estate, and was the first editor of the Weekly Echo. (39)

On July 25, 1868, Jacob Ryan was selected as the first treasurer of Lake Charles; John Spencer, town secretary; M. J. Rosteet, town collector; Pat Fitzgerald, town constable; and George H. Wells, town attorney. (40) The first survey of Lake Charles was granted to J. S. Bilbo. (41) The results of the Bilbo survey denoted the limits of Lake Charles as follows:

"Being north on the east bank of Lake Charles, ten acres above the residence of Joseph L Bilbo, thence southward along the bank of said lake to an including the lands of Michael Pithon, thence eastward on a line parallel with the south lines of lands of W. Hutchins and so as to include the residence of J.V. Moss, to the line which intersects the lands of V. Touchy and W. Hutchins, thence on a parallel line with said intersection an east and west line from the place of beginning, and comprising all property therein situated." (42)

Paralleling the establishment of municipal politics was the organization of the Calcasieu Democratic Party in August of 1858. All members of the Town Council, with the exception of Mayor Bryan, made a published plea to their fellow citizens to support the candidacy of Seymour and Blair. (43) On August 29, 1868, a meeting was held in Lake Charles for the purpose of ratifying the Seymour-Blair ticket. It was further resolved that African slavery was dead and that Negro voters were entitled to full enjoyment of the right of person and property. (44) J. V. Moss, president of the meeting appointed Jacob Ryan, Daniel Goos, and Cr. W. J. Kibbe to organize a Democratic club in Ward 3. The parish Democratic executive club, which was the focal point of political activity, was dominated by Lake Charles citizens. (45) In the presidential primaries of November, Lake Charles rejected the Republican Party’s eight-year domination of the Presidency by casting 244 votes for the Seymour and only two for Grant. (46)

By early 1869, Lake Charles was rapidly improving with new sidewalks, streets, buildings, and an increase in population, which by 1870 had reached approximately 700. (47) The basic cause of growth was he increased lumber business after the war. The foundation of Lake Charles’ economic prosperity were laid between 1865 and 1876. By 1876 Lake Charles had twelve sawmills in addition to many logging companies, which provided a large income for the community. (48) Almost parallel with its 1867 incorporation, Lake Charles entered into a new era, which Stewart A. Ferguson has labeled "an epoch of wood". (49)

Because of its industrial potential and attractive location, Lake Charles was infiltrated by Northerners and Midwesterners. This influx may possibly be the reason for the ethnic differences, which still separate Lake Charles for the rest of Southwest Louisiana. By the 1870’s the populace of Lake Charles was predominantly Midwestern instead of Louisiana French. According to H. G. Chalkley, Lake Charles is today a "strange combination of a Louisiana French community with a Texas town." (50)

In 1869 the Town Council did very little; in fact, five years later the council unanimously passed a motion rejecting the accounts of J. W. Bryan for services rendered as mayor for the year 1869. (51) The basis issues in the municipal campaign of that year were proper police protection and taxes. On the 6^th of June, the same officials were returned to office for a third term. (52)

In 1870, the town of Lake Charles was yet in its infancy, the town’s government was nebulous, and civic improvements were lacking. By the mid-1870’s, the town was returning to the agricultural abundance that it had enjoyed before the war. Improvements were constantly being made, and by 1875, Lake Charles had regained its pre-war economic level. (53) In an anonymous letter written to the editor of the Opelousas Courier and published July 31, 1875, the author described Lake Charles as a little village "rapidly growing in population, thanks to the different advantages which the country offers to immigrants" and a town "having twelve or fourteen sawmills located in a circuit of less than ten miles," a fact which did much to attract immigrants. The main branch of industry in the vicinity of the lake was, he said, "the culture of oranges," with some individuals owning extensive nurseries containing several thousand orange trees. (54) By 1872 Lake Charles had a new courthouse, a telegraph line, and the prospect of daily rail connections with the commercial emporiums of Louisiana and Texas - a prospect which did not materialize until 1880. (55)

As late as 1874, municipal primary elections lacked vigorous competition. For example, in the election of that year, members of the Council had to suggest to the citizens that an election be held. The Weekly Echo proposed that a meeting of local citizens be held to select candidates by ballots on the first Monday of June of that year; the result was the election of William Meyer, a local merchant, who was to dominate the mayoralty for the next fourteen years. (56) In that same year two prominent Lake Charles citizens, William H. Kirkman and George H. Wells, became active in the campaign for state Senator. On June 20, Wells made an address in Opelousas. Because of his influence and distinguished position in Lake Charles’ political affaire at the time, Wells’ address may best reflect the political ideals of the Lake Charles citizenry in the mid-1870’s. A columnist for the Weekly Echo described Wells’ political convictions:

"Though not a member of the White League, and confining himself strictly to his published political views, he left no doubt in the minds of anyone present that in his opinion, the policy of the Republican Party was to Africanize the Southern States. He paid a beautiful compliment to Col. De Blanc, the hero of the "White Camelia" - the defender in past times of an abstract principle, which he vitalized in his own life and actions. Like the immortal charge of the six hundred at the Balahlave, Col. De Blanc never paused to count the odds against him when duty led him on. He might suffer, he might die, but life and death alike must always be to him the interpreters of heroic and patriotic actions." (57)

Although Wells’ rare rhetorical faculty appealed to audiences, Kirkman led his three opponents and defeated Wells by a margin of 88 votes. (58)

The first competitive municipal election in the history of Lake Charles was held June 7, 1875. Besides the regular Democratic ticket nominated at a public meeting on May 22, there were three independent candidates for alderman - B. Kowatz, Victor Touchey, and J. W. Bryan. The election returned the William Meyer ticket to office, with the exception of one independent candidate, J. W. Bryan, who captured the fifth alderman’s post. (59)

After this competitive primary, the Council became actively engaged in securing more improvements. In the previous year, the Town Council had examined the condition of streets, bridges, and sidewalks. (60) Lake Charles sanitation improvements began early in 1875 when a committee was appointed by the Police Jury to inspect streets in reference to drainage and to report needs for improvement. (61) During 1875 and 1876, the correspondence of city officials indicates increases in purchases of lumber and other materials for the purpose of city improvements. (62) Later, in 1879, the Council recommended that the building of sidewalks would be too expensive and instead presented a plan for building a causeway across the marsh on Broad and Hodges streets. (63)

The municipal primary of 1876 generated more interest than had any previous campaign. Two full tickets were placed in contention, although both were headed by Mayor Meyer. (64) In the 1872 Presidential primary, Lake Charles had joined the rest of the parish in supporting Horace Greeley, and in the disputed election of 1876, Lake Charles exercised its voting prerogative by casting 274 votes for Tilden and 68 votes for Hayes. The enthusiasm of the municipal election of 1876 declined in 1877, when only 55 votes were cast in a single ticket primary, and Meyer was restored by a unanimous vote. (66) (65 is missing) The municipal primaries of 1878 and 1879 were uncontested, and William Meyer remained mayor. (67)

Although the political development of Lake Charles was limited during the 1870’s, the town by 1879 was discarding its village characteristics. Except for the panic year of 1873 and the log controversy with the federal government in1878, the lumber industry during the decade of the seventies increased from 7,800,000 board feet of lumber produced in 1871 to 20,000,000 by 1880. (68) In 1874, an opportunity for foreign lumber trade was opened by French capitalists who were impressed by the high quality of Calcasieu lumber. Subsequently, a movement was initiated to make Lake Charles an official port of entry, and the persistent lumber concerns in the area petitioned Congress to this effect. (69)

The industrial period of the seventies was climaxed by the coming of the railroad in 1879. Before the railroad came, lumber schooners were the major motor transportation, especially between 1870 and 1880. (70) On March 26, 1880, the Lake Charles Echo commented on the elation of the Lake Charles citizenry when it said: "Everyone feels like shouting! At ten o’clock this morning, the gap in the railroad between Lake Charles and Orange [Texas] was closed. Lake Charles is now connected with Houston and all parts of the world. It is almost too wonderful to be true." (71)

The establishment of the Louisiana Western railway system, on land provided by the City Fathers, "marked the first notable advance in the population and business of Lake Charles." (72) In 1880 the population was only 800, but by 1890, it had multiplied 400 percent, reaching a total of 3,260. (73) The period from 1880 to 1890 can be labeled as the "period of northern immigration." During this period, settlers in great numbers from Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa entered Calcasieu Parish. This immigration strengthened the demographic trend toward a Northern cultural climate. According to Miss Maude Reid, this Northern influx was the decisive factor in the ethnic separation of Lake Charles from the rest of Southwest Louisiana, and prevented it from bearing the characteristics of a "Southern" town. (74) The vanguard of this influx found a courteous citizenry being erected. (75) The Council of 1880 represented the mercantile, mechanical, and laboring interests of the population but was said "to argue (sic) well for the rest of the interest of Lake Charles."(76) However, the municipal election still remained a one-ticket affair. In the Presidential election of that year, Lake Charles remained Democratic, but a notable seventy votes were cast for Garfield. (77) At the same time, despite a vigorous campaign by the United Friends of Temperance, organized in October of 1877, Lake Charles also rejected the prohibition amendment by a notable margin. (78)

By the early 1880’s, Lake Charles began even more to feel the results of Northern infiltration. The federal government made land available at $1.25 an acre, attracting Eastern lumber capitalists. The main company, which arrived in 1883, was the American Land and Timber Company. It purchased large amounts of land and began a systematic advertising campaign to attract new immigration and capital. This campaign was spearheaded by J. B. Watkins, an industrialist from Lawrence, Kansas, who through his efforts "caused Lake Charles to be the best advertised city in the United States," and who was largely responsible for securing immigration to Calcasieu Parish. For example, he distributed thousands of pamphlets and circulars, advertising the advantages and resources of the area. In 1886 he spent $2000 on one cent postage stamps. (79) Backed by English capital, Watkins purchased more than one and a half million acres of prairie and marsh land that lay between the Sabine River and White Lake. In 1884, Watkins hired his brother-in-law, Alexander Thompson, professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State College, to take charge of the engineering of this land purchase. Thompson persuaded Dr. Seaman A. Knapp, President of Iowa Agriculture College in Ames, Iowa, to join him. Knapp, a native of Schroon Lake, New York, accepted the position of investigating the agricultural prospects of the area and of helping to bring in settlers. (80)

After the Civil War, Captain Goss and other leaders were among the first to realize that the problem of labor would have to be solved along new lines. (81) The appeal of a new "Promised Land," untouched by the confusion of Reconstruction, and the offer of gainful employment in the sawmills attracted many Negroes during the 1870’s. But the greatest increase occurred in the 1880’s and the 1890’s. (82) This increase in immigration was partly caused by the establishment of commercial relations between Calcasieu and the West and Northwest, attracting many displaced common Negro laborers. The most important motivation, however, was a higher wage. Some Negroes were paid as much as $2.50 to $10.00 per day. Alex Holmes, a sawyer (lawyer) in the Bel Mill for forty-four years, received $8.00 per day for his services. (83) Although the Negro enjoyed suffrage in Lake Charles and was invited to all political rallies, he did not become significant as a voting bloc until later.

Even before the arrival of Watkins in 1883, Lake Charles was a booming town though still small. (84) The political vigor for municipal elections remained dormant until 1883 when a competitive election was held. Two tickets were placed in contention, the first headed by G. A. Fournet and the second headed by Mayor William Meyer. Meyer was reelected. (85) The spirited campaign came in 1884. During this period, Lake Charles had many saloons and "houses of public entertainment" which attracted countless undesirables. Consequently, the main issue of the campaign was - as the Echo put it - that of protecting the population against "the scores of revelers who make night hideous with their howls, jeers and firearms." (86)

In 1888, a broader interest began to develop in municipal elections. The citizenry was concerned over better leadership, sanitation problems, and drainage facilities, which would make the town less susceptible to disease. In that election, two tickets were placed before the public - the Democratic ticket tipped by Jacob Ryan, and A. L. Reid’s ticket, which was elected by a margin of sixty-four votes. This was the first time that a democratic ticket was defeated in a municipal primary. (87) In the presidential election of 1884 Lake Charles had gone solidly democratic. (88) There was, however, a distinct trend toward division in the 1888 Presidential primary, following the party division in the municipal election. Cleveland carried Ward 3, but there was a notable indication of Republican leanings. (89) In the 1889 municipal election, the Democratic party did not present a ticket. The People’s ticket, headed by S. O. Shattuck, was placed in opposition to Reid’s Citizens’ ticket and won the election by eleven votes. (90)

The City Council elected in 1889 contrasted sharply from earlier councils in its awareness of responsibility to the community. Soon after the new council’s election, it was challenged by the Lake Charles Echo to take positive action: "Now that our newly elected council have (sic) been in stalled, and the wheels of municipal government freshly greased for another year’s run, it is all important that right at the inception of their administration, they should determine upon some intelligent, progressive policy which will be of material and per inent (sic) benefit to the town. In the neighborhood of $10,000 of annual revenue will be under their control. It is true that all this may be easily frittered away for garbage hauling, dog killing, street repairing, etc. But if out city fathers will resolve upon systematic improvement a portion of this, say $2500, may be set aside for some particular purpose. For example, let resolve to dig a deep drainage canal from the lake at a central portion of town back to the entrance edge of the settled part, so as to drain into the lake. Let this ditch be planked on bottom and sides, and if necessary on top. Twenty-five hundred dollars will do it. All the central portion of town being drained into this canal by cross ditches, will become much more healthy, and the lots more desirable… It is only necessary to say, the world was not made in a day - your time next. If this be done a permanent drainage will become an issue inn our nest town election, and those who will have furnished proof of their willingness and ability to utilize town funds for the benefit of the town will have the inside track for election. Five years in such a course will without a dollar of extra tax, make Lake Charles on of the best drained towns in the South, and will retain her reputation as one of the healthiest. As drainage becomes more perfect, street cleaning will grow cheaper. Drainage, water, protection from fire and the lake front improvement are the most needed improvements for Lake Charles to-day." (91) Another evidence of the growing community’s increased political awareness was the new revisions to the town charter introduced in 1889, which were designed to deal with municipal rather than rural administration. (92)

The railroad attracted many new sawmills during the 1880’s. In late February of 1889, a meeting was held in Lake Charles concerning the prospect of the Kansas City, Watkins, and Gulf Railroad. In the latter part of June, work began on the second railroad, which was described by the Echo as being "vital to the prosperity of our embryo city." The most notable advance in the latter part of the 1880’s was the appointment of Deputy Collector of Customs a Calcasieu Pass. This event, desired by the citizenry since the mid-1870’s, caused Lake Charles to become a prosperous port town. The establishment of a second railroad to the part and the maturing of the issue concerning the dredging and deepening of the Lake Charles channel caused a new exuberance in municipal and political affairs. (93)

The agrarian economy, which had been the principal attraction of early immigration, had undergone a transformation resulting from heavy Northern immigration in the 1880’s. The outlook for the future was promising, as indicated in a letter written in 1889 by the Reverend C. A. King, who had arrived in Lake Charles that year. In this letter, addressed to his son George, King discussed the prospects of an inland harbor for southwest Louisiana, suggesting that Lake Charles was the only feasible spot for this harbor. "We are," he wrote, "sure to have deep water and that will make Lake Charles the future great city of southwest Louisiana. (94)

THE EMERGENCE OF CITY POLITICS

1890-1900

Development of Calcasieu Pass and the acquisition of deep-water facility at Lake Charles were the major side issues of Lake Charles municipal politics. In 1876, Congress had passed a Bill authorizing the improvement of Calcasieu Pass. In 1881 a channel seventy feet wide and six feet deep was dredged; later it was widened to one hundred feet. In 1890, Congress appropriated $75,000 for work on the project; the newly organized Lake Charles Board of Trade, under the leadership of H. C. Drew, increased the amount to $100,000 and the channel was deepened. After much political controversy, Calcasieu Pass, in 1896, was placed on the continuing contract system of the Federal government. (2)

A meeting of citizens in 1890, called to consider the best interests of Lake Charles, helped pave the way to the establishment and organization of the Lake Charles Board of Trade. (3) The Board played a significant role in contributing to the general prosperity of the city. Their aim was "to promote the interests of commerce and trade, and increase the facilities and amount of the business of the city of Lake Charles and the parish of Calcasieu, and to further all measures requisite for the public utility and advantage attendant there on." (4)

Weighted with three charters, municipal politics between 1889 and 1899 underwent a period of trial and error and general confusion. In the late 1880’s as immigration increased and the economy expanded, the 1867 charter became outdated. A new charter was proposed in March 1889, for the purpose of coping with the expanding demands of government. The two most important sections concerned the extension of the city limits and the lengthening of municipal terms from one to two years. The commentary in the local papers was mixed; both the D and the Commercial were opposed to the charter, arguing that it was defective on several major issues. Concerning the provision calling for a two-year term, the Echo pointed out that, if accepted, Lake Charles would be without a mayor from June 1890 to June1891. Another bone of contention related to the veto power of mayor, which would be "nullified by allowing the votes of three alderman to enact a law over the veto, and thus acts would be passed by three (mayor and two aldermen) and the veto would be recorded against. (5) The Echo also objected to the section pertaining to the right of the board of aldermen to fix the compensation of the mayor and officers. The newspaper suggested two contingencies:

1^st. There is no condition that it shall be fixed once for the whole term, except in case of collector and treasurer. Hence, if all the board are of one way of thinking salaries may be to high. If the majority are opposed to the mayor his salary may be made so low as to compel a meritorious officer to resign. So with other officers; pets may be employed at exorbitantly high salaries or good officers may be forced out by parsimony or ill will.

2^nd. A board of officers elected for one year will have power to appropriate and fix taxation and licenses for two years, and thus bind those who would follow the second year, and perhaps leave them without funds… Corrupt combinations of individuals may make serious in roads upon the treasury.

In its final analysis, the Echo suggested that Lake Charles had incorporated room for 25,000 people and felt no need for a new charter. (6) Whether or not due to the Echo’s opposition, the charter failed, and Lake Charles retained her old aldermanic system until 1894.

In early June 1890, two tickets were placed in contention for municipal offices--the major issue being the improvement of sidewalks. (7) The People’s Ticket, headed by A. L. Reid, opposed the New Deal Ticket, topped by A. Rigmaiden. After a relatively peaceful campaign, the entire People’s Ticket, with the exception of one post, was elected. (8)

The 1892 primary for city council was rather peaceful, although it did have its lighter moments. "As a joke," reported the Echo, "A. Schwab was put up for mayor…

Those who were the prime mover in the business thought it was a joke, but when they found that it was being treated in a serious manner they tried to squelch it; but, like Banquo’s ghost, it would not down at their bidding, consequently they had to go to work, and do some very effective work at that, to defeat Schwab. (13) A.L. Reid won by a comfortable majority. With the exception of Reid, the 1892 council members had never served in a city position; never-the less, the Commercial believed that "without a doubt, a more competent set could not have been selected, and they will devote a good deal of their time to the improvement and wants of our city. (14)

Through the 1890’s, construction in Lake Charles underwent a slight boom. A bridge was constructed over Contraband Bayou and a municipal wharf was started. (15) The Pleasure Park Association, formed in 1894, sold bonds and provided funds for construction of a racetrack, a dance floor, and a grandstand. The original plan fell through, however, and the park was mainly used for Fourth of July celebrations. (16) Politically, the anti-lottery issue gained major significance in mid-1891. Meetings were held and speeches were delivered denouncing the evils of the lottery system. (17) The parish Democratic Committee supported the anti-lottery Democrats, urging its backers to maintain and perpetuate "Jeffersonian democracy." (18) A Ladies’ Anti-lottery League was formed and conducted a vigorous campaign against the lottery. (19)

In 1892, Lake Charles, along with the rest of the parish, favored Murphy J. Foster over Samuel D. McEnery by 406 votes in the Louisianan governor’s race. (20) The 1893 council race was slightly more spirited than those of the previous two years. The Echo, in its usual plea for grave consideration of municipal candidates, pleaded that "there was yet

time to organize," and expressed an "abiding faith in the good people of this city," who could, if they would try, arise and put down "this one-man government that has been running this city for so many years." Suggesting that the candidate for mayor, instead of choosing his own ticket, would run on a ticket selected by a citizens’ meeting, the Echo supported Jacob Ryan as the most "fitting selection" for the post and one who would be a refreshing change toward a more representative ticket. It challenged Lake Charles by stating: "Now boys, put your shoulders to the wheel, and with a long steady pull, a strong pull, and a pull together, from the time the ticket is announced until the last ballot is counted next Monday night and we will bet a dime to a doughnut that there will be a change in the city administration." (21)

The major issue of the campaign, reported the Echo, was the conflict between ring and anti-ring men, who were "watching each move of the other. When the ring men finally called for a conference among themselves to see which of their two candidates, A. L. Reid or S. O. Shattuck [they] should pull down, the anti-ring men knew that they had the ring men in a hole." As a conference held the Friday evening before the Monday election, the ring decided that Shattuck was to withdraw, but on Saturday morning Shattuck appeared on the streets and announced that he would be candidate for mayor. Reid and the conference committee were quite perturbed, and the consequence "was quite a flurry among the ring men." About two p.m. a pronunciamento was circulated, in which Reid declared: "For reasons best known to myself I [Reid] am no longer a candidate for mayor of the city of Lake Charles." (22)

Paralleling the actions of the Ring Ticket, "friends" of Jacob Ryan and L. C. Dees nominated an opposition candidate, one who was to dominate the mayoralty until 1899. This was Pat Crowley, foreman and road master of the Southern Pacific Railroad, a native of County Cork, Ireland, who had come to America twenty-five years previously.

Settling in Lake Charles in 1879, he conducted a saloon on Railroad Avenue, built the first steam laundry in the city, and was one of the prime movers in organizing the street railway. (23) Under his five-year administration, Lake Charles would realize a progressive municipal government.

The newly elected council was a youthful aggregation representing varied backgrounds. Harry Milligan, thirty-three, grocer, native of Topeka, Kansas, had resided in the city for only two years; he was described by the Echo as "a hustler." John Poe (later mayor) was noted as a popular individual who ran on both tickets and stood "well with all parties." Ed Ryan, thirty-six, native of Chicago, partner in a local livery stable, was "the heavy member of the council, and…the only bachelor in the crowd." Completing the youthful ticket were A. P. McCain, thirty-one, native of Washington Parish, and William J. Gayle, thirty-seven, of Pointe Coupee Parish. The Echo emphasized: "Not one of the gentleman sought the place, and only consented to serve at the earnest solicitation of their friends." (24) The newspapers urged the new council to take steps toward securing a new charter for the city, which would provide for the election of the mayor and a board of five aldermen and proposed that the aldermen should elect a police judge who would try all offenses against city ordinances. This, suggested the Echo, would free the mayor from the duty of holding police court every morning and listening to "the little tales of woe" of patrons of the police court." (25)

In April 1893, a movement was initiated in favor of a bond issue of $50,000 for the purpose of improving Lake Charles streets. The Echo supported the proposal, for improvements were badly needed. When the town was laid out, few provisions had been made for streets. The sooner all streets were opened and improved, argued the Echo, the cheaper it would be in cost to the city. There were "some old fogies who will stand against the idea of $50,000 of bonds," but the Echo, felt that the amount was feasible. "We can," wrote the paper, "understand the disgust that the very name of ‘Bonds’ creates in the mind of the older citizens, in whose thoughts the memory of the Carpetbag regime is yet fresh, but they should remember that those days have passed." Since the proposed bonds would "be devoted to much needed improvements, which are for the benefit of he coming generation as well as the present….the coming generation should be willing to pay its share." (26)

In August of 1893 Lake Charles was described as " an embryo city" of sawmills, shingle factories, rice mills, ice factories, railroads, streetcars, electric lights, water works and a refinery. The streets were described as "wide enough and well laid out. (27) A new spirit permeated the meetings of the youthful council, evidenced by a fight, which took place over one issue, after which Mayor Crowley imposed a $1.50 fine "on those fighting from that day forth." (28)

Among the city’s most apparent problems by 1894 was a proper numbering and naming of streets in the more thickly inhabited areas, which, the Echo suggested, could be solved by dividing the city into blocks, each block containing fifty to one hundred numbers. In past years, if the streets and houses had been named and numbered by the city council, Lake Charles could have had free mail delivery. (29) A second problem was the plague of "riotous saloon districts." Those on "Battle Row" (the South side of Railroad Avenue east of Kirkman Street) were described as having an "unenviable notoriety." In the late seventies and eighties, these places of entertainment were filled with a "motley crowd, waiting for someone to stand treat" at all hours of the day or night. (30) This riotous activity was brought to the attention of the council in August 1894, by a group of citizens who complained against the disreputable houses and asked for additional police protection. (31) Earlier a group had petitioned the council to take action on liquor violations and to prohibit saloons in residential areas. (32)

The council also was faced with a fire protection problem. Prior to 1893 adequate fire protection was minimal. In the late seventies and throughout the eighties, the town was dependent upon volunteer fire companies; limited to the use of one one-thousand gallon tank and a thousand-foot hose. Maude Reid recalls that although these early companies were vigorous, they were quite inadequate, and only the stores on Ryan Street had sufficient adequate protection. (33) In early April, the six volunteer fire companies organized into a more unified effort for fire protection. (34) By 1894 they had a system of water works with both stand pipe and the Holly system of direct pressure with mains extending all over the city; a large number of hydrants or water plugs; a steamer costing some $2,000 to $3,000; four "nearly new" hose carts, and a thousand feet of four-inch hose, officered by four well-organized fire companies composed of the "best and most athletic young men for the city." (35) A spirited yet quite election was held in 1894. After a mass meeting at the court house in May nominated candidates for mayor, the local press predicted that Crowley would be nominated to succeed himself, since he had discharged his duties honestly and had made every effort to provide the citizens with an administration of which they could be proud. (36) The proposed ticket, headed by Crowley and including C. P. Hampton, Arad Thompson, L. Kaufman, Richard Green, and W. N. Elliot, was considered unsuitable by the mass meeting and a committee was named to prepare amore favorable one. Crowley remained as head, with T. E. George, John Sweeney, and Henry Sumerall replacing Kaufman, Green, and Elliot. This ticket was nominated unanimously by a local committee, and a resolution was passed endorsing the nominees, and the city council for their able management of the city government during the previous year. (37)

Crowley’s major opponent, John Poe, who headed a ticket including H. B. Milligan and H.R. Green, withdrew his name and threw his support to Crowley, (38) who was elected unopposed by a vote of 758. (39) With an entire new council, the Echo expressed a hope to "see something done in regard to a revised charter" - which did, in fact, become the major issue the following year. (40)

In March 1894, the Lake Charles city council proposed a new charter, one that called for combining the offices of clerk, assessor, tax collector, and auditor in the office of an assessor collector and a secretary-treasurer. The functions of City Commissioner and City Engineer were consolidated, and all offices were made elective except that of City Physician and City Attorney, which remained appointive. Lake Charles was divided into four wards, each with two representatives. One councilman was to be elected for four years and the other for two years.

The plan aroused much opposition, especially from the Echo, which pointed out that nine out of ten cities in the United States had aldermanic terms of one to two years and that the four-year "long term" was too long for a "young and growing city which needed frequent changes in leadership. (41) The Echo, noting that Lake Charles was making afresh start with renewed vigor toward progressive municipal stability, commented that "much depends upon the selection of men who will control our destiny for the ensuing two years." (42)

The period between the election of the council in June and the September 4 charter election was fraught with anticipation and all action of the council were held pending the future powers to be granted if the charter was passed. (43) Biding its time and refraining from making certain intended improvements, the council, nevertheless, accomplished much. It provided for construction of a city jail and a public market; it carried out street improvements and passed an ordinance preventing stock from running at large; and it revised several ordinances and repealed others, which were obsolete. (44)

The Commercial and the Echo supported the adoption of the amendments and believed that every progressive and enterprising citizen’ should do the same. The Commercial stated that the old charter made the city fathers powerless to enact and carry out laws suitable for the advancement of the "growing and prosperous city." Once "full working power" was granted to the council, it would be more progressive, and if the charter amendments were rejected, the city would continue to "peg along" as it has in previous years. (45)

The city showed little interest in the charter election; although it made Lake Charles a city, only 221 votes were polled (by a three-to-one majority) in a very quiet and calm election. (46) The council lost no time in implementing its newly vested powers. By late 1894, sidewalks were improved and unified effort was taking form toward better city planning. (47) Prior to the1893 election of Crowley, the council had been composed of prominent older citizens. In the election of 1895, a vigorous Young Men’s Progressive League of Lake Charles nominated a ticket for every position except mayor. (48) But with the institution of the ward system, the unified ticket suffered and each ward showed a preference for choosing its own aldermanic candidates. (49) Although he lived in New Orleans, A. L. Reid announced himself as a candidate for mayor. The Commercial suggested that if he did return and run he would be overwhelmingly defeated. Incumbent Crowley announced his candidacy on the same day and was praised as "the best mayor the city ever had" and as "a hard man to defeat." (50) He defeated Reid, his only opponent, by 489 votes, capturing a comfortable majority of the 1,123 vote cast. (51)

The Lake Charles council made many improvements in 1895. At the meeting of March 28, the council granted a franchise to the Lake Charles Electric Railway Company, of which Crowley was a major stockholder. (52) By October it was predicted that within a short time uniform brick pavement would be laid on both sides of Ryan Street, stretching from South Court to Lawrence Streets. (53) The Board of Trade, which had taken an interest in the sidewalk problem, also proposed improvements of new roads. The Commercial, commenting that the sidewalks on Railroad Avenue "are in a horrible condition and absolutely dangerous," proposed that the council take action or be threatened with libel suits. (54) The council in August passed a Sanitary Ordinance, and improvements in the Police department also began to take form. (55)

In March 1895, a group of clergymen organized a Preachers’ Union, designed to direct Lake Charles along moral lines. The Preachers’ Union also took part in political activity, at one meeting appealing to citizens to "vote as you pray."(56) Another reform group was the Loyal Temperance League headed by Birdie Haupt, who helped to revive the temperance movement, which had begun to lag in the late 1880’s. The Democratic Party also began intensifying its activity, and in the early 1890’s Lake Charles received a flag from the National Democratic Party as a symbol of its fidelity. (57) In 1895, S.A. Knapp considered Lake Charles "a city that has the situation and possesses the energy and intelligence to ….. become the Chicago of the Gulf." Another writer commented that "a magnificent young city covering six square miles has emerged from the little hamlet; a lusty young giant has come out of the wilderness." (58)

The major political issue of the decade in Lake Charles occurred early in 1895. Although the railroad was significant to the prosperity of the city, waterways occupied the time and attention of the area leaders, particularly the improvement of Calcasieu Pass. (59) A vital issue arose when the federal Rivers and Harbors Bill of 1896, which granted funds to Calcasieu Pass for the purpose of improvements, was vetoed by President Cleveland. When Senator Donaldson Caffery upheld and appropriation of $1,173,000 for the improvements of Bayou Plaquemine, the $315,000 necessary for continuing the Calcasieu River project was stricken from the appropriation, as only one federal appropriation was granted each state. It was generally know that Caffery favored the appropriation for Bayou Plaquemine while Senator H. C. Blanchard favored it for Calcasieu Pass. (60) The Lake Charles citizenry was outraged by this action. The American felt that the opening of Calcasieu Pass would benefit millions of people, while the "Plaquemine ditch" would benefit thousands. "The Plaquemine ditch is as a very small molehill to a large mountain," continued the American, adding that self-interest had clouded Caffery’s judgment. Caffery denied this, claiming that his decision had been based entirely on the reports of the Corps of Engineers. (61)

The Board of Trade took immediate action by corresponding with both Caffery and Blanchard. A letter prepared by A.P. Pujo, later Congressman, was sent to the Senate Committee in April, asking it to place Calcasieu Pass back on the continuous appropriation system. On April 27, in a wire to Pujo, Congressman Andrew Price said that the Senate Committee had decided to leave Calcasieu on the continuing contract system. (62) In the fall of 1896, during the free silver campaign, Senator Caffery spoke in Lake Charles (63) and provoked a "sort of riot." At a subsequent rally in Franklin in November, Caffery made a brief reference to the Lake Charles incident, claiming that the riotous attitude was more of a "disgrace to the state and to Calcasieu" than to, himself. In defending his action, Caffery proposed that he would have secured both improvements under the system, and that he had told the committee and businessmen of Lake Charles that if one contract was allotted Louisiana, he would support Plaquemine. (64) In a later interview in October, Caffery admitted that the Plaquemine plan would cost four or five times as much as Calcasieu. The American then suggested that it would also benefit the people of several parishes, including St. Mary, "Where Mr. Caffery resides and where his interests lie. (65)

The rally at Franklin adopted a resolution condemning the "lawless mob composed of some citizens of that town [Lake Charles]….whose ruffianly (ruffian) conduct was not only an uncalled for attempt to violently deprive our distinguished Senator of the right to express his convictions to the public in the great issues which now confront us, but was also a disgrace to the parish of Calcasieu. (66)

A primary election on June 10, 1896, between the "16 to 1" Ticket and the Silver Democratic Ticket, resulted in a small majority for the latter. (67) The silver question was quite an issue in Lake Charles. At one mass meeting, the crowd consisted of over a hundred, with a number of Republicans present. (68) In the presidential election primary, Lake Charles cast 613 votes for Bryan, and 358 for McKinley, with only thirteen going for Palmer. In the Congressional race, the Democrats also won. Although only recently established, the Republican organization showed a strength of 413 votes cast for the Republican candidate. (69)

By mid-1897, Lake Charles was growing rapidly. A new lumber mill was established and the old Ryan-Richard Mill was rebuilt. Lake Charles had three railroads and many newly built residences and stores. With its great number of natural resources, it was predicted to "soon be the greatest city in Louisiana outside New Orleans." (70) Civic organizations had functioned all during the period and had done much to beautify the city and attract industry to the area. (71) The lumber industry flourished. Statistics for 1895 indicated a total annual production of 140,000,000 board feet of lumber produced by nine mills in the vicinity with a combined employment of 1,300 workers, receiving approximately $540,000. (72) Labor presented no real problem to the mill operators, as Lake Charles had become a "mecca" for northern immigration in the late 1890’s. However, the majority of the workers, both white and Negro, were recruited from the local inhabitants for the most part. By the close of the century, ten mills were in operation and the demands for southern yellow pine increased phenomenally.(73) But the greatest era in the development of the lumber industry was yet to come in the early part of the twentieth century. (74)

An important issue of 1897, which plagued the council, was civic improvements. Alderman Crosby described the sidewalks as "a deathtrap, a disgrace to the city, and a positive nuisance. (75) Not only were the sidewalks in disgraceful shape, but Lake Charles was almost void of any type of paving. By December of 1898, Ryan Street had a new coat of shell, purchased by the city from the Barbe Shell Bank on the lake, to reinforce the old shell, which had proved inadequate to support the increasing traffic. (76)

The 1897 campaign was marked by the interest in the charter question. Earlier that year "mass" meetings had been held to consider the charter, but the gatherings had not been characterized by "great massings" of people. (77) In May it was predicted that the city administration’s financial affairs had been hindered by the charter regarding its legality. Most local attorneys had united in stating that the incorporation of Lake Charles was illegal and that the charter would probably fail when brought to a legal test. Although the bar was in agreement on the illegality, they disagreed as to what constituted the best policy. A majority felt that a stay in proceedings would aid in solving the controversy. The American felt that this objective was not feasible and proposed a mass meeting that would organize to decide the issue by a "competent authority." (78)

The council election of 1897 was held in the heat of the charter controversy. The Commercial commented that the election was not a fight between parties but that it was

"a fight of the people in general, for good and competent officers to place in charge

of the city’s affairs. Let the voters of each ward elect a good progressive and responsible

man as alderman, and the city in general elect the most worthy aspirant among the candidates…..What Lake Charles mostly needs at this day is a progressive and influential set of city officials, whose sole aim will be for the up building and advancement of our city…In the selection of city officials is no proper time to award friends or punish

enemies, the interests of Lake Charles are at stake, and all depends upon whom you place in charge of the reins of our future progress; so lay aside all prejudices and vote for the most enterprising and wide awake candidate on election day." (79)

All candidates, especially those supported by Pat Crowley, were careful not to refer to the charter. The financial status of the council was disastrous; however, this was not pointed out by the newspapers until several weeks after the election. In the primary held on April 6, Mayor Crowley received 427 votes to Thomas Kleinpeter’s 316. George Ryan and W. A. Kirkwood in Ward One had no competition. The only competition was in Ward Four where E. J. Crosby was defeated by Francis Chavanne by one vote. (80)

At the June 7 meeting of the council, Chairman Lyons of the finance committee reported that the city banks had positively refused to loan money to run the town until the fall. The reason given was the uncertainty relating to the illegality of the charter. After debating the issue, a committee consisting of mayor Crowley and Aldermen McCain and Kirkwood was appointed to confer with representative citizens of the Board of Trade and Commercial Club "to see if something could be done to abridge the crisis." By this time, the monthly expenses of the council averaged about $1,000 and the Treasury indicated an absolute voidness of funds until the fall tax money was collected. (81)

The period between June of 1897 and March of 1899 was characterized by confusion, distrust, and general chaos on the part of the council. In November 1898, a committee of twenty-five headed by H. C. Drew was formed to revise the 1867 charter. After nineteen sessions of the general committee and a total of sixty-five meetings of subcommittees. The charter was completed on March 7, 1899. (82) The charter committee presented an extensive report concluding:

"After full and free exchange of sentiment and a very careful and extended study of all matter referred to us, we are pleased to be able to report unanimously and

recommend the purchase of said Light and Waterworks plant, at the price specified to wit: $85,000.000 on such terms and conditions as may hereafter be agreed upon by

Commenting on the new charter, the Lake Charles press stated that the city had undergone an interregnum period to which Pat Crowley had been relieved of his mayor’s duties and James P. Geary had brought the city out of the experiment of village government into a period of improvement with a "splendid city charter" which provided for the "power of improvement" being vested in the proper hands. The interregnum council was described as one which had kept he town from taking a backward step towards new improvements.(85) With the new charter secure, the election was characterized by great enthusiasm for the future, in spite of a light vote because most of the voters had neglected to register. Out of the 515 votes cast, James P. Geary carried three of the four wards with a majority of 157, losing Ward One to Crowley by one vote. (86)

The American had not supported any candidate, but in evaluating the primary, one writer commented: "Mr. Geary is large enough - physically, mentally and in every other way - to fill the mayor’s seat in a city many times the size of Lake Charles. The year just past has fully demonstrated his capacity and his anxiety to improve the city and give it the best and most economical government possible. The people trust him and look for good government and a careful administration of the city’s affairs, and the American feels certain that they will not be disappointed." The newly elected council of the "new Lake Charles" was predicted to conduct a very business-like administration. (87)

The last quarter of the nineteenth century brought immense progress to Lake Charles. Cattle raising multiplied, crops increased, rice was developed on a huge commercial scale, lumbering thrived, schooner trade was lively, roads were improved, oil was discovered, sulfur was mined, and Lake Charles had finally become a city of note. (88) The area described in the 1860’s as "an insignificant village, upon the bank of a pleasant, clear lakelet, several miles in extent" had become a vital, small industrial city, but still in need of many improvements. E. F. Gayle, arriving in Lake Charles in the summer of 1898, described it as a "muddy little village" with privately built boarded sidewalks and boggy little streets. (89) Maude Reid, a resident at the time, recalls the boggy streets when not one day went by but that local businessmen would have to vacate their stores to aid a neighbor in pulling his wagon out of the bog. (90)

Seaman A. Knapp, writing at the end of the century, described Lake Charles as "the metropolis of Southwestern Louisiana….destined to be the great central city between New Orleans and Houston…." He believed the city on the lake had the "best location in the South" for the manufacture of furniture, wagons, chairs, agriculture implements, cotton and woolen goods, iron products along with special advantages for investments, and a winter resort for northern visitors. Knapp concluded that Lake Charles was "essentially a northern city, wide-awake, progressive and modern."(91)

The decade of the nineties was climaxed in Lake Charles by a tragedy on August 2,1899, when a fire swept through the west side of Ryan Street, causing a loss of $50,000. (92) After this catastrophe the city council established a fire limits ordinance, preventing the erection of certain types of buildings within the business district. (93) Not only did 1899 represent the end of the century and the institution of anew charter. It was, as well, the end of a pioneering era, marked by the death on December 18 1899, of Jacob Ryan, the "Father of Lake Charles." (95) (94 is missing)

CHAPTER III

THE DECLINE OF ALDERMANIC POLITICS

1900-1909

The period 1900 to 1909 brought Lake Charles to a realization that the aldermanic system of government could not deal with the problems of an expanding city. The reins of municipal government were held by more capable administrators than those of the previous decade, but the council became more inefficient in its actions. This decade saw many basic improvements in problem areas, which had plagued the city since the1870’s, yet these improvements were not enough. Municipal politics became very competitive; on several occasions, campaigns went into second primary elections, and in one case into a general election. The council failed to satisfy the basic needs of Lake Charles, and it efforts did not keep up with the demands of the rapidly expanding economy. In short, it was a decade of great activity which ended in temporary defeat in April of 1910, when a fire destroyed the better part of the business district.

The prevailing attitude of the citizens of Lake Charles in 1900 is shown in the following statement. "The people in Lake Charles are wide enough awake and are enthusiastic enough for their town; but their efforts are too much scattered and need to be centralized…." (1) During this year, the local press called for an organization of the workers of Lake Charles into an active association, which was later to become the Lake Charles Chamber of Commerce. (2)

Interest in municipal affairs was strong in 1901. The American noted that the spectators in the galleries of the city council showed a "wonderful increase in attendance, among them being several members of the police jury, doubtless after pointers in the way of expediting business." (3) In 1903, an organization called the Civic League made its appearance and presented two signed petitions to the city council proposing a Board of Public Works of seven members and the suspension of the franchise tax for the period of five years. (4)

The assimilation of northerners had greatly influenced the culture of Lake Charles by 1903, and in an editorial in the Lake Charles Daily American entitled, " The New Reconstruction," one journalist described the effect that this assimilation had wrought:

"Although we are thirty years away from that trying period, the "dark era of reconstruction" continues to be a favorite text in this campaign as in the past…. There has

been, however, another era of reconstruction in Louisiana, and not a dark one. It began in southwest Louisiana when J. B. Watkins and his associates came down into an impoverished country, began to turn the barren stock ranges into pleasant farms and spent millions to attract other men of means and to exploit the country’s untold resources; when

Father Carey discovered Hennings and upland irrigation of Rice and when Pennoyer, Bradley, Mason and other lumbermen began to turn its forests into gold that was the life current of the community…. The Illinois Central brought the new kind of carpet baggers - those that brought money in the carpet bags - into the state to create the Tangipahoa truck farming industry; and when northern capitalists came…to create new manufacturing industries and expand the older ones… The people from the north here now are not the despoilers and invaders, but the builders and helpers of an adopted state."(5)

A. S. Ferguson has said that 1903 was probably the greatest year of industrial progress made in Lake Charles. (6) The increased bank receipts shown by the annual report of the Lake Charles Board of Trade of that year indicated the notable growth of Lake Charles. Henry Milligan, president of the Board of Trade, praised the city for voting a special tax for the erection of a city hall and also indicated the growth of the city by the following investments for 1903: public buildings and brick business blocks, $213,000; homes and dwellings, $171,805; general additions and improvements, $50,000; employment, 1,275, with a payroll of $618,000. (7)

"The city is amply provided with water and light, and possesses as fine a plant as can be found anywhere. Two million gallons a day fully supplies the city’s needs and leaves a little over. This is artesian water of the best quality. In case of a fire she has plenty to draw on and besides, has both lakes and river if needed. Nearly 80 double gate hydrants are tented for fire protection, and taken all in all, it is doubtful if any city in the South is better provided. In the matter of light she is equally as well supplied, as the plant is equipped to furnish five times the population. The same plant keeps the people supplied with ice, turning out over 60 tons daily, and if that is not enough there is another company willing to supply the deficiency." (10)

By mid-1907 Lake Charles had a city assessment of $3,532,000; eight miles of street railway, five railroads, nine sawmills with a capacity of one million feet daily and employing 1,500 men; three rice mills; and five miles of navigable waters connecting with the lake. (11) A young Negro educator Ralph Reynaud, who had arrived the previous year, viewed the city as a great lumber industrial complex whose people were centered around the "economic aspects of the City". (12) The two-year period between 1908 and 1909 was characterized by economic slump, which was caused by many conditions. Among these were the partial failure of crops, the exorbitant Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, the drop in the licenses formerly received from the liquor interests, the panic of 1907, and a high tariff on lumber. (13) One historian feels that although these other factors were significant, the panic was undoubtedly the greatest factor in this sag in the economy. Another suggested that prohibition in Lake Charles was responsible. (14) The depression reached its lowest ebb in the latter part of 1909 when a large number of houses were vacant and put up for sale. Many of the inhabitants moved away in this period. (15) At the beginning of this decade, Lake Charles was the fifth largest city in the state with a population of 6, 680; by 1909, the population had more than doubled to 13,949. (16)

By the end of the year 1909, it was suggested that "Lake Charles had just reached the turn of the tide after a year of depressed business…. The street car service has been kept up to their usual high standards; while papers in the other towns have been complaining of poor light and water service, Lake Charles has been served as capably as ever, and all the companies enterprises have been kept at the top notch of efficiency." (17)

In 1900, Lake Charles’ sewerage system consisted of the lake. Sidewalks were privately built, and usually wooden; streets needed improvement badly. Drainage facilities were poor; fire equipment was outdated. The hope that a new charter would be capable of providing the power to make the necessary improvements in public facilities proved to be unduly optimistic.

In the first council meeting in 1903, Mayor Poe gave his annual message describing the progress Lake Charles had made in 1902. The address was evaluated by a local journalist as follows:

"He laid particular stress on the great number of modern brick buildings erected since the passage of the fire ordinance, and spoke of its great value to the city. A special paragraph was devoted to the Carnegie Library, work on which is rapidly progressing . Reference was made also to the tax levied for the purpose of building the city hall, which will stand a monument to the administration. "Quite an amount of space was devoted to a comment on the sewerage and drainage of the city. The reference to the schools and existing adusation conditions was very complete and complementary. In conclusion, Mr. Poe recommended that the council take under consideration the subject of a paid fire department, which has become an undeniable necessity."(18)

The first improvement project to be presented before the council was the paving of Ryan Street. Plans were made to pave this main thoroughfare with vitrified brick or asphalt. In 1902, the city council voted to approve a special tax to improve streets. Alderman Lewis introduced an ordinance to amend Section 22 of the 1899 Charter enabling the council to improve streets by a special tax on property. The purpose of the tax was to make street paving in Lake Charles a possibility "in the near future." (19) But in 1904, a bond issue for the purpose of raising money for paving was defeated in a city election. (20) In 1905, after asphalt had been decided upon and the contract let, the people behind the movement to pave Ryan Street withdrew their support in favor of shelling, which proved to be unsatisfactory to the demands of traffic. (21)

In 1906, the American stated that talk of paving had started before the opening of the century but that the bricks were very slow in going down. (22) It stated that the mud on Ryan Street was so deep that a temporary crossing laid down sank out of sight within a very short time. (23) Street crossings work was completed early in 1907, and street paving from Python Coulee to the south line of Division Street was finished shortly afterward; at this time three streets in the city were paved - Ryan, Pujo, and Broad Streets. (24)

By August 1902, Lake Charles was in good financial condition again and was ready to solve her deplorable sewerage problem. The local press had campaigned for new sewerage improvements, and ninety petitions had reached the council. (25) The issue had overwhelming support of both the citizenry and the council. So confident was the local press that the sewerage issue would pass that it did not publish any petitions prior to the council meeting on September 16, 1902, when such petitions were formally presented. (26)

No action on the sewerage problem had been taken by January 1904, and the American warned that further postponement of this issue would set a precedent for the postponement of all further improvement. (27) The city Engineer, Frank Shutts, was called upon to make a survey of the drainage and sewerage problems. (28) The Council ordered all private sewers leading to the lake to be closed, but later this was reconsidered and the council repealed the ordinance. Another group of property owners who had made original complaints objected, and the council sidestepped the issue at every opportunity during 1904. (29)

Then in city and parish election held in November of 1904 concerning amendment 15 of the Louisiana constitution, which would legalize formation of such a sewerage district within the city limits of a municipal corporation, Lake Charles failed to vote in favor of the amendment. The local press was surprised, saying that such an amendment should have been "understood and appreciated". Of the 154 votes cast against the amendment, fifty came from the voting precinct in which the sewerage district would probably have been erected. This, said the American, showed "with what fondness some people cling to the idea that Lake Charles can keep on dumping sewerage into the lake." (30)

Not until its first meeting in 1906 did the city council make a definite commitment to the building of a sewerage system. Sewerage district boundaries were proposed as follows:

"Beginning at the corner of Reid Street and the Southern Pacific right of way running west to Orange Street; south on Orange to the lake bank; southerly along the lake bank to the Python Coulee; east to Ryan Street; south on Ryan Street to Miller Avenue; east on Miller Avenue to Common street; north on Common to Cleveland Street; east on Cleveland to Bank Street; west on Pine to Reid Street; north on Reid to point of commencement. The district would embrace the 2^nd and 3^rd wards and portions of the 4^th ward." (31)

But no other action was taken, and in the latter part of the year, J. A. Landry proposed organizing a privately owned Lake Charles Sewerage Company, which would install a first class sewerage system capable of supplying 50,000 people with a projected capacity of double that amount. (32) A local journalist felt that Landry’s proposition "puts the sewerage question directly upon the property-owners of the more compactly built portion of Lake Charles." (33)

In January 1909, the council finally had to begin the actual improvement of sanitary conditions due to the low ratings of the State Inspector. (34) However, even this action proved inadequate, and the problem was finally brought before the people in a mass meeting resulting in a plan to spend $100,000 to $200,000 for sewerage which was carried out a year later under a bond issue of $160,000. (35)

In 1903, the new city hall was built on the south side of Division Street, and a new city prison was also constructed. (36)

Because of the inability of the council to solve the sidewalk problem, the property owners on Broad Street had constructed private sidewalks between Common and Ford Streets. (37) In1904, the council passed an ordinance providing that pavements and walks would be constructed at the cost to the owner, who would be given five years to pay for the improvements on an annual installment basis. (38) In the latter part of 1907 contracts were let for the construction of a total of sixteen miles of sidewalks. (39)

Dark streets received attention when seventy-five of the 800 candle-power streetlights were changed to 1600 candle-power lights. In 1906, the council also voted to contribute $1,500 to the improvement of Lakeshore Drive. (40)

The drainage problem was not really settled during the period. A six-inch rain in the later part of 1906 caused the city fathers added trouble, for the city was under water from Kirby Street eastward and from Common Street northward so deep that streetcars could not run. (41) Charles Prater offered to contribute $50,000 for the improvement of drainage. Later J. A. Landry proposed to give a drainage system to the city, but his offer was rejected because of bitterness which had arisen between the Board of Trade and the City Council. (42) The subsequent year the problem was intensified by another flood described as the worst since 1886. The water lapped the stringers on the Southern Pacific Bridge, caused the saw-mills to shut down, and cut off streetcar service entirely. Practically the entire southern part of the town was under water. (43)

The local insurance companies had reduced Lake Charles from second to third-class rating because of the inadequate fire protection. The rate was raised at least twenty-five percent on all property, and in some cases rates were even higher. (44) This problem was alleviated in 1904 when $12,500 was appropriated to purchase fire wagons and hoses, to install a fire alarm system, and to build a new fire station. (45) It was at this point that the volunteer fire companies no longer satisfied the citizens, because they could not depend on the old system to minimize insurance rates. In the latter part of 1904, added protection was given by the installation of nineteen new hydrants. (46) A tax of $400 yearly for buying fire equipment was passed. (47)

In 1901, local law enforcement was probably mostly concerned with keeping the peace. One of the more light-hearted issues was the application of a "move-on" ordinance. The city’s main streets were plagued with many loafers, and, as the American commented, their ranks were composed of a number of "worthless Negroes" and a few whites who blocked sidewalks and caused a general nuisance. (48) This state of tranquility was not to last long, however, for the influence of Theodore Roosevelt was evident in the zeal of the reformers of that time. In January 1903, a group of ministers appeared before the council, asking it to abolish "houses of assignation" whose growth had been phenomenal during this period in the questionable districts of the city. Many of these houses were visited by prominent men of the city, and appointments were being made by various men and women of the city who did not follow the occupation for gain. There were many who felt that the houses should not be bothered, for several of the women who ran these establishments were mulattoes and knew too much about their prominent clientele to be "harshly disturbed." (49) The council agreed with the ministers that the houses should be abolished and drew up a resolution to that effect. But when the vote was taken, everyone was very much surprised to see that the resolution was voted down overwhelmingly. Early in 1903, the Welch Journal commented that, although gambling was closed in that city, one could go to Lake Charles and "gamble to his heart’s content."(50)

Later in the same year, an effort was made to abolish gambling. Because of pressure on the part of this group and others, the council passed an anti-gambling ordinance and provided that saloons should remain closed on Sundays. During the next few weeks, many saloons were fined for violation of the ordinance, which was generally disregarded, as was the usual practice toward legislation. Practically nothing was done in regard to gambling, and a month later Mayor Winterhaler decided that the ordinance was illegal, and it was stricken from the records. (51) The ministers renewed their attack, and the council was forced to raise the saloon license to $1,000. (52) During October 1903, ninety-two arrests were made - thirty-two for disorderly conduct, twenty-three for fighting, and thirteen for drunkenness. (53) During November, 102 were made. (54) The saloons, however, continued to increase in popularity, and twenty-five liquor licenses were given out in one day in late December.

Efforts were made in 1904 to lower the $1,000 liquor fee, but through the efforts of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, combined with those property owners who did not desire to increase their taxes, the fee remained at $1,000. (55) In1906 the new restriction that liquor licenses be limited to more orderly saloons was not seriously enforced, and the council continued to receive illegal funds from the saloons. (56)

In 1904, the council was also petitioned to adopt some means for better police protection in the city. At that time, Lake Charles was "infested with all sorts of dangerous characters, from the amateur who snatches a few nickels and dimes to the professional safe blower and the incendiary who would not hesitate to add murder to his crimes." (57) According to Judge Murray Anderson, present city judge, Ward Three has always had a police problem, which exists to the present day. (58)

In July 1905, the council passed an anti-gambling law which abolished all types of gambling and which was advocated by Chief of Police Sparks. (59) Religious interests of the city began putting pressure on the Mayor to take a strong stand against gambling which had already been successfully driven out of Monroe, Shreveport, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, and New Iberia; they also called for action on the part of the council. (60) The movement to eliminate gamblers gained strength during the early part of 1909; the organization known as the Good Government League assisted in rounding up gamblers in the city. (61) The city council took a stand on gambling on January 19, when Alderman E. H. Chavanne introduced a resolution to the effect that plain-clothed detectives would be more effective in rooting out the gambling houses in the business district. Alderman John Poe opposed the resolution, stating that the police force was fully capable of dealing with the situation. (62) By late 1909 gambling had been suppressed to some extent.

The prohibition law went into effect late December, 1908, but records indicate that the liquor traffic had not decreased to an appreciable degree. (63) The Mayor issued a proclamation in 1908 calling for the cleaning up of the city. To curb the crime rate, it was decided that the curfew must be enforced. As the people became more active in their demands, the council announced that the citizenry was always kicking about something. (64) "Blind Tigers" were numerous in Lake Charles; in one case Sheriff Reid arrested a Japanese named George Murata who had illegally selling spirits. A search revealed fifty-four quarts of whiskey and vermouth, indicating that the proprietor was well stocked and had a "flourishing trade." (65) The main flow of liquor was suggested to originate in the cities of Lafayette, Alexandria, Beaumont, and other "haunts of the unregenerate." (66)

Political activity in municipal politics increased during this period and climax when the Democratic Party divided and a general election was called to settle the dispute. Through the efforts of Congressman A.P. Pujo, Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish became significant in state and national politics, among his accomplishments was the establishment of a federal court in Lake Charles. (67) Despite the vigorous activity of the Republicans, the Democrats retained supremacy. (68)

The council election of 1901 was quite spirited. One candidate who was in contention for the Mayor’s post was disqualified for the election on the grounds that he did not meet the provisions of Sections 7 and 10 of the charter. (69) Three men contested for the mayor’s post, resulting in the following returns: Poe, 356; Fournet, 201; and Geary, 196. The election was termed fair and had been conducted with "due dignity." Leaving little traces of bitterness or ill feeling. (70)

Mayor Geary had been unable to finish his term, and John Poe served from October 4 to October 19, 1900. The term was finished by Judge G.A. Fournet. The local press evaluated retiring Mayor Fournet’s administration as follows:

Taking the reins of office for a brief interregnum and with the city treasury in a state of collapse he has made many improvements, made streets out of Venetian Canals, and contributed much to the comfort and convenience of the citizens by his wise and economical expenditures of public funds. Peace and order have reigned throughout the city during his administration, and where it has been necessary for him to represent the public he has acquitted himself with dignity and grace. (71)

After much investigation by local newspapers, which insisted that Imperial Calcasieu be properly represented in the United States Congress, two prominent Lake Charles citizens, A. P. Pujo, and H.C. Drew, entered the congressional race. (72) Drew later dropped out of the race in favor of Pujo, and Pujo carried the Democratic primary in the district as well as Lake Charles, defeating all opponents by an overwhelming majority. (73)

The municipal election in 1903 was not published to a great degree. Main interest centered around the candidacy of L.C. Dees, who, to the surprise of all old politicians, was defeated by only twenty-nine votes. Winterhaler carried all wards except Ward 3, polling 258 votes. (74) Out of the 550 registered voters in the city, 500 voted in this campaign. The aldermanic contest showed an unusual amount of "single shooting."(75)

In 1904 a new city, Democratic Committee was organized with Judge G. A. Fournet as its chairman. At an organizational meeting, a motion was adopted declaring that the Democrats of Lake Charles had the right to organize municipal primaries and nominate a city ticket. It was also resolved that primaries could be called in any ward to name executive committeemen or endorse candidates for parish school board, upon application of ten Democratic voters of the ward. (76)

In the congressional election held in November, A.P. Pujo carried Lake Charles and Calcasieu by a firm majority. In the presidential primary, Roosevelt was rejected by a very light vote. Reports from the voting precincts indicated that Parker got forty-six votes to Roosevelt’s sixteen, eleven voted were cast for Eugene V. Debs, and Debs defeated Roosevelt in the Third Precinct. (77)

In early December 1904, the Jennings Progress suggested that the Civic League had gang-like control over city hall. In rebuttal the Daily American stated that Lake Charles had no "gangs" and that all Lake Charles desired was "sidewalks, paved streets, sewerage, electric cars, abolition of the cow nuisance, lake front drive, electric light and other ornamental plants, good school buildings and other comforts of existence."(78) In the same rebuttal the American described what had been accomplished by all previous mayors up to that time, emphasizing what the Lake Charles citizenry had preferred in municipal officers:

The first improvement administration was that in which Jacob Ryan shaked the court house away from ancient Marion and set Lake Charles up in business, and they have succeeded each other with unvarying regularity. The heart of every city administration had been "true to Poll." Every city father has been willing to sacrifice his wife’s relations, the Ice, Light and Water Company or any old thing in order to obtain public improvements. Only, somehow, we always failed to get them. (79)

The municipal campaign of 1905 was most exciting. The first candidate for mayor, D.R. Swift, was the head of a Civic League Ticket; however, he refused to run because of business commitments. Ward Four was the first section to organize a caucus, nominating C. B. Richard and E.S. Crosby to succeed themselves. Fifty-five voters participated in the caucus called by W.E. Cline, and John Shattuck and A.D. Harlan were selected by a Civic League Meeting. In the same meeting Richard and Crosby got the majority of the votes and ran on a platform from Ward Four calling for increased interest in public schools, support for the special school tax, wide economic use of public funds, and electric lights system, and better sidewalks. (80) One of the most prominent men in Lake Charles and a resident since 1879, Leopold Kaufman, was asked to replace Swift as candidate for Mayor. The American felt that he was an ideal choice who would encourage new enterprise and improvements. On March 8, Kaufman declined to accept the nomination on the grounds of business commitments. (81) William Patterson, a local businessman, announced that he would be a candidate for Mayor, running on a progressive platform. Before the election, the council made several progressive moves, which tended to aid the incumbent candidate. There was a proposal for construction of a new lighting plant, which would cost $68,000. (82) Mayor Winterhaler defeated his opponent by a narrow margin of fourteen votes. Patterson showed definite strength in Wards Three and Four, while Winterhaler carried the other two boxes by a notable majority. (83) The new council contained five if nine members of the old one. The American predicted that the council would continue its previous policy.

The election of 1907 was one of the most interesting ones in the history of Lake Charles. An open charge was made that the Democratic nomination committee was under the power of J. A. Landry and his corporation. (84) This was followed by an attack on Mayor Winterhaler, who was criticized as being a weak Mayor partial to the "ring." It was charged that he had consistently refused to do anything for the best interests of the city. The Daily Press urged S.H. Clement, who had entered his mane as a candidate, to withdraw in order that a stronger candidate could run and therefore have a better chance of defeating Winterhaler. (85) The suggestion was acted upon, and W.E. Patterson entered the race, only to be later thrown out on a technicality, leaving only two candidates in contention, Winterhaler and S. H. Clement. A protest was raised regarding the exclusion of Paterson from the race, and a group of citizens at a mass meeting under the leadership of J.E. Cline and A. R. Mitchell declared themselves in favor of an independent ticket. (86)

With a Democratic primary impending for February 4, the independents were denounced by the regular Democratic committee and the local press. (87) In the primary a heavy vote was cast, with Winterhaler wining by a 200-vote majority. (88) The general election was very spirited and was one of the most active mud-slinging campaigns in the history of Lake Charles. The Independents were denounced as "J. Iscariots" and the Daily Press pointed out the impossibility of their election. In the primary, out of 650 registered voters, 386 cast ballots, and there were indications that seventy-five more Democrats would register before the general election. (89) The Council called the general election, after much debate, for April 16. (90) The campaign opened in the earlier part of April. Both tickets held several rallies, and both proposed progressive improvements for Lake Charles. (91) All candidates proposed better sewerage and improvement of the schools. The Democratic Party took a stand for "responsible government." (92) Bands were provided at Democratic rallies, which tended to be more extravagant, giving evidence of more funds. (93) The Independent group directed its attack against Mayor Winterhaler, accusing him of being a "boss" who ignored the wishes of the people and council. The Democrats rejected this statement and held Winterhaler up as an exemplary public official. (94) On election eve both sides indicated confidence, though their campaign efforts were described as follows:

With both sides claiming victory and every candidate on each ticket confident of success, one of the hardest fought municipal campaigns in the history of Lake Charles draws to a close tonight and tomorrow morning the intelligent voter will go up and vote as he has intended to all along, just the same as if there had been no noisy red fire engines or brass bands. (95)

A.P. Pujo, when asked in an interview his opinion of the municipal campaign, replied: "Reformers and independents represent merely the political whims of the moment. It is a misnomer for persons to designate themselves as ‘independent democrats’ or ‘independent republicans;’ in neither case do they belong to either party. They are independents considering themselves free from party obligation, and party nominations unless approved by them. Their attitudes in the present municipal campaign demonstrated the correctness of this assertion - always in the minority, yet intolerant of the views of others…AN INDEPENDENT IS ONE WHO IS CALLED UNDER THE BREECHING FROM BACKING AND KICKING AGAINST THE ACTION OF ALL PARTIES. (96) The Democrats made a clean sweep of the election, and Winterhaler defeated Charles P. Martin of the Independent Ticket by a 150-vote majority. (97)

The election of 1909 was quiet. The Democratic Committee met in January and set the date for the primary as February 18. C.B. Richard was the first to announce his candidacy. A native of St. Landry parish, he was followed by Ben M. Foster, who was described as a "young businessman" of the firm of Dees and Foster and a native of Lake Charles. (98) Both ran on progressive platforms and were flanked by formidable candidates for the aldermanic posts. (99) Election day was very cold and there was a noted absence of strenuous campaigning, making the city primary the "tamest" on record. "No one," reported the American, "is standing around the polls except a few candidates, no wagers are laid, and the only semblance of activity is given by the hack men who are driving up and down awaiting the hailing sign of the voter who doesn’t care to walk."(100) The primary resulted in a 110-vote majority for Richard out of a total vote approximating 700 in which he carried every ward. (101)

From the beginning of the decade, the council was in financial trouble. The long and costly litigation with the Ice, Light, and Waterwork Company went to the District Court in 1900, where the city received a favorable decision, and alter to the Supreme Court, where the city lost the suit. (102) The resulting court expenses decimated the already scanty treasury. A Pollyanna journalist challenged Lake Charles to push ahead, now that the sky was cleared of the fifteen-year cloud of litigation. (103)

By April 1901, the council’s financial condition was improving. Tax receipts were accumulating, and the treasury report indicated a balance of $6,073.43. (104) However, difficulties arose in connection with the street paving fund. In a letter dated September 16 1902, the council finance committee reported "certain irregularities" which it felt should be brought to the council’s attention. It was found that in certain instances, warrants were drawn in favor of Mayor Poe and cashed by him, however, they were not recorded in total in city record books. (105) Naturally, Mayor Pie considered this report a rapprochement on the council and himself. In a rebuttal prepared on September 26, Mayor Poe frankly admitted mistakes and stood corrected, but maintained his errors had been involuntary. (106) The council adjourned to consider the resolution based on its investigation of Poe’s actions. The council declined to involve the city in more litigation on the matter, although they could not "pass this matter by without condemning in the severest manner the irregularities of the Mayor." (107)

Nevertheless, the balance at the close of the Poe administration was $11,637.81, with a back indebtedness of $6,135, 52. (108) The financial report which appeared on July 15 1903, indicated a difficult budget for the new council to implement. The total revenue consisted of 45,500, of which $20,000 was obtained from licenses, and $1,800 from fines. The expenditures were broken down as follows: schools, $10,000; streets $5,000; salaries, $8,000; Board of Health, $2,000; library $1,000; water and lights, $8,000; old indebtedness, $7,200; and contingent fund, $4,200. (109)

Another scandal arose in connection with the shelling of Ryan Street in 1905. The American could not refrain from drawing parallels between irresponsibility of public servants and the sewerage problem. (110) In mid-October, the Mayor suspended City Engineer Boren for unsatisfactory service. Out of this action, rumors grew and multiplies into gossip on the streets, and talk of impeachment was echoed by the local press. The official charges were "…misconduct, errors, and neglect of duty - he did not shell Ryan Street properly, issuing load checks unlawfully; he conspired with Fred Weber to charge the city more shells than they were getting." (111) On October 30 a hearing was held in the council chamber and by unanimous vote, after J. A. Trotti had testified in favor of Boren, the council declared Boren not guilty of "conspiring to defraud the city." (112)

In the meantime, the council was showing its inability to deal with the problems of necessary public improvements. Admittedly, local fears of municipal ownership of utilities was a great stumbling block to progress; Lake Charles had been severely burned by a fifteen-year lawsuit concerning this very matter. The local press opposed municipal ownership, stating that it resulted in "bossism, mechanism" and that a municipal government would be inefficient and careless in the administration of public utilities. The local press proposed that once municipal ownership was granted, "every political leader or boss" would "have his patronage multiplied four-fold," service would be unsatisfactory, and the waterworks department would become a "nest of ward politicians." (113)

Another thorn in the side of the council was the problem of public schools. By 1900 John McNeese, Superintendent of the Parish School Board and former Union officer, found that his office was becoming too complex to administer, and he urged that the Parish School Board create a City Superintendent of Schools. In his report, McNeese suggested that this action would correct deficiencies in the city school system. (114) The controversy of 1900 was marred with bitter quarrels between them School Board and the Town Council over the subject of school funds. Various plans for increasing the funds were suggested and discussed, but no progress was made. (115) In 1903 an Assistant Superintendent was proposed, and in 1904 L.L. Squires became principal of the high school and Superintendent of the of the city schools. (116)

The main problem of the council in 1905 was the financial status of the City School System. In January a three-mill tax for a period of ten years was proposed in order that the "city schools be placed upon a firm financial basis." There was much support for the issue and the American suggested that although it was a good idea, the tax would yield $3,000 less than the current city appropriation, and that the council would hold the purse strings with the power to give schools anywhere from $9,000 to $21,000 a year at their own discretion. (117) Both school boards considered the measure, and on January 12, the Lake Charles local board formulated a petition to the people calling for a special school tax. The parish school board, meeting the same day, passed a resolution giving the local school board control over city schools. Before this time, the city group had only been a local committee made up of prominent citizens who indicated interest in school affairs. (118)

The schools had incurred a debt of $10,000 and had insufficient funds to carry on normal operations. Thus, the only alternative to the special tax was to close the city schools. The council, under the constitution of 1898, which contained an article providing for the levying of special taxes in school districts in municipalities, supported the measure. (119) At a council hearing McNeese was the key witness in favor of the tax. When asked why the city schools were in financial difficulties at this time and had not incurred difficulty in previous years, McNeese emphasized that the city had budgeted $2,000 more in 1905 than the previous year and in addition had made a provisional appropriation of $2,000 more, "conditioned upon an excess of revenue which had been realized." The council reminded McNeese that the extra $2,000 had been absorbed by increases in state and poll taxes. Although not stated in the proceedings, indications are that the council would not have closed the schools under any circumstances. (120)

The campaign for the special tax was vigorous. Local newspaper editors, doctors, ministers, lawyers, and businessmen voiced their support of the tax. State Senator H.C. Drew announced that he would sponsor a bill at next session of the General Assembly, which would grant to the local board "full control of their schools if the tax was voted." (121) A petition was filed with the council on September 15, supporting the tax, and the election on October 31 resulted in a majority of 178 votes or $363,149.00 in favor. (122) Action was taken to transfer facilities and children into the new system. (123) By an act of 1906, which created the city school system of Lake Charles, the separation of city and parish schools was made on April 19, 1907. (124) Edwin F. Gayle, who was prominent in school affairs at that time, suggested that the separation was caused not only by financial difficulty but also because the rural areas of Calcasieu were developing slowly and the old section of the city became "impatient" at its lack of adequate representation on the parish board. (125) G.W. Ford, who has been with the city schools since 1916, feels that the chief motivation for separation was that the territory encompassed by the parish school board was so vast that McNeese could not administer it; since most of the schools under the board were in the city the idea of a city system became more attractive. (126)

By August 1908, the city school system was in great financial difficulty, in spite of private drives to maintain it. (127) The school question was brought to the council in its September meeting. One alderman proposed that the schools be discontinued. The mayor and the other aldermen opposed this measure and Alderman Jones proposed a teacher’s salary cut, but Alderman J. A. Williams said that such action would be impossible because Lake Charles already paid it teachers less than those in Sulphur, Jennings, and DeRidder. Another meeting of the council was held and resulted in support for the ten-mill tax for the schools. (128) The Enterprise Club declared itself strongly in favor, and in the election held on November 3 the tax carried by a large majority after a heated campaign. (129) By the latter part of 1909, the school board was out of debt for the first time since its formation.

The temper of the council was quite capricious, and the citizens were learning to humor it. Such an action resulted in the council giving way to a demand, which had been made for some time, namely, granting manufacturing concerns freedom from taxation for a number of years. The council agreed not to tax new concerns until 1910. (130) The council became more obstinate by mid-1907, and the editor of the Daily American-Press appealed to them publicly "not to allow small personal grievances and peanut politics to stand in the way of development of the city." The editor cited the example of the Gaar Scott Company, which had located in Crowley seven years before, after having first considered Lake Charles. He said that the company rejected Lake Charles because of the way the city affairs were run, making future prosperity seem far distant. (131) Council members also had difficulty because of their squabbles caused by the Watkins Railroad controversy. The railroad had criticized the Council, and the Council tried to avenge the criticism by ordering the railroad to remove its tracks from Front Street, an unnecessary move that hindered the business interests of the city. (132)

With the coming of 1909, more complaints were brought to the council regarding public improvements. This was probably due to the fact that the city was in danger of losing $30,000 a year in revenue because of the parish prohibition. At a subsequent meeting, the council cut appropriations to meet the decrease in revenue. The fire department was cut to $5,500 and the schools to $5,200; the police department was reduced by two patrolmen; the city prison guard was eliminated; the fire department was reduced one fireman; the street workers were reduced to six men; and the Board of Health appropriation was also cut. (133) Financial difficulties plagued an already harassed council; however, the sewerage ordinance passed in the earlier part of the year received $2,000 for its operation. (134) Because of the decrease in appropriations, Lake Charles Fire Company No. 1, which had been organized in 1878, passed out of existence. (135) The results of the recommendations by the State Inspector forced the Council to act on the matters of drainage and sewerage in 1909, but its efforts were too little too late. The citizenry had become disgruntled with the lackadaisical attitude of the Council in municipal matters, and Lake Charles was for a change to a more business-like form of government.

CHAPTER IV

The period between January 1910 and the fire in April of that year was characterized by enthusiastic progressive reform. Although the city was in debt, many improvements were made. The Commercial Club incorporated and intensified its beautification campaign.(1) The council called a special election to replace the vacancy left by Alderman A. N. Jones; also, Mayor Richard announced that he had completed arrangements to purchase a cart and a set of harness for the fire department, which was felt to be a notable contribution to its efficiency. (2) The Board of Trade encouraged immigration and reported that it was receiving an average of ten inquiries a day about Lake Charles. (3) The Sewerage Commission met on March 11 and received the final plans and estimates for the proposed $160,000 sewerage system. (4) The council improved sidewalks and made paving improvements during the period. In February, the council compiled a list of streets on which it proposed to lay cement sidewalks, and it arranged for the city engineer to investigate the matter and to prepare recommendations for future action. (5)

On April 23, 1910, the future of Lake Charles was placed in jeopardy by a disastrous fire, which destroyed a major part of the city. Many opinions have been expressed on the cause of the fire. On May 8, a New Orleans paper noted that the fire had taken place in the middle of a six-week drought, when the old wooden buildings of the town were a "virtual tinderbox."(6) In a 1960 interview, Maude Reid described the fire as follows: "Northerly winds sweeping across the lake whipped the water into white froth, and lifted sparks from a trash fire at the edge of the lake behind Ryan Street and dropped them against the tinder dry buildings." (7) Miss Reid further commented that the danger of fire had long been foreseen in Lake Charles, because of the preponderance of flimsy wooden structures in the town. The fire cut a diagonal pathway through the city from northwest to northeast, having its base on Ryan Street and moving from the Rock Building the Mayor C. M. Richard’s residence. Local editor William E. Krebs stated that within twenty-four hours "most of the business district and a good part of Lake Charles was just a heap of embers. "(8)

The reaction of the citizenry to the catastrophe was phenomenal. A mass meeting was held the following day and a special committee was appointed to give attention to any and all distress cases. (9) The police jury assembled on April 27 in an emergency meeting and named a committee of five to survey he courthouse and locate all records salvaged from the fire.(10) Fire Chief Suddeth was very efficient in initiating an immediate clean-up of all debris within twenty-four hours of April 27. (11) In the absence of Mayor Richard, who was at his Gum Cove ranch, a special meeting of the city council was called by Mayor Pro-Tem John H. Poe to assemble at the Majestic Hotel on April 28. (12) On May 6, the Sewerage Board met a proposed that a special bond election be held.

On May 7, the city council met to discuss the rigorous job of reconstruction. The meeting was described a "one of the most harmonious and enthusiastic meetings ever held by the City Fathers." Attended by a score or more citizens, its most satisfactory feature was the conviction of the councilmen that not only should the city be rebuilt but that the civic improvements which had been debated during the past decade would best be accomplished at the same time. The fire committee made the following recommendations, which were adopted by the council: (1) the city would proceed immediately to erect a permanent fire station for the central headquarters at a cost of not less then $10,000 and that this fire station should have a steam fire engine and hook and ladder truck; (2) the mayor and aldermen should put into circulation petitions for signature of property owners requesting the city council to order an election to determine whether or not the majority of property owners desired the city to issue bonds approximation $200,000; (3) that the proposed bond issue should be predicated upon a special tax of three mills for thirty years; (4) that of the $250,000 proposed to be raised by this bond issue, the sum of $100,000 be set aside for the city’s portion of the expense of paving such streets or sections of streets as the council may determine upon petition of property owners along said streets; (5) that $75,000 from the sum raised be set aside for the purchase of additional land for the city hall and the erection and equipment of the new building; (6) that $25,000 out of the fund be set aside for the purchase of the site for the new fire station, the erection of the new fire station building , and the purchase of the new equipment. A new city hall was also discussed and it was decided that it would be erected in a square bounded by Ryan, Cole, Kirby, and Iris Street. (13) The council met again in a four-hour session on May 17 and acted upon three main issues: first, a building and fire ordinance; second, a refusal to arrange for a special election for the raising of $100,000 for the building of a school; and third, action on the bond issue election. (14) The fire ordinance, made more restrictive, provided for: The prevention of fires, creating the office of Inspector of Buildings, to provide rules for the construction of buildings, to provide for fines, and other safety regulations within the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles; to establish fire limits and sub fire limits, to provide punishment for the violations of this ordinance, to repeal all ordinances in conflict herewith, and to fix the time when this ordinance shall go into effect. (15)

Improvements seemed to be the keynote of the council’s action in the later part of the year. The city hall proposal was carried and the council also resolved to drain Central Place bounded by Division, Common, and Boulevard Streets at the southern limits of the city. Pithon Coulee was also deepened and widened. The council extended fire limits, set building requirements that were more rigorous, and made improvements in fire equipment. Fire Chief Sudduth was suspended from service because of fighting and drunkenness, and Dick Gunn was appointed in his place. The new Fire Prevention Bureau pointed out that the department needed six additional men, new fireplugs, and a chemical wagon. (22) In October, the Sewerage Board met and recommended that a sewerage bond be issued. The sewerage district included a good portion of the city but did not cover the suburbs and the lower class districts. (23) By the end of the year, it was felt that the fire had been a "blessing in disguise" in that it had destroyed "most ramshackle business buildings and the worst fire traps in the neighborhood of the principal streets." (24) By this time, Lake Charles had expanded to a population estimated to be between 14,000 and 15,000.

The municipal campaign of 1911 was relatively quiet because of the interest in reconstruction. Mayor Richard was opposed by on of Lake Charles’ more prominent citizens, Sam Kaufman, who ran on a vague progressive platform proposing public improvements. Richard felt that he had administered the city well. The Daily American commented: During the past two years Mayor Richard and the city council have given the city the best possible administration for the funds at their command. All the city departments have been well sustained, in spite of a decrease of $25,000 to $30,000 in the city’s income and steps have been taken which will give Lake Charles some of the improvements it needs. It is evident that the taxpayers are well satisfied with the results of the past two years, and have no desire or inclination to make experiments. No criticism of the Mayor’s conduct of his office was made or could be made, consequently the voters saw no reason for a change. (25)Over 900 votes were cast in the first primary, as Richard defeated Kaufman by a margin of 130 votes with Kaufman carrying Ward Three by only five votes. There was a second primary for the offices of Street Commissioner and Ward Four Alderman, in which only fifty percent of the votes cast in the first primary were polled. (26)

The year 1912 was important in the history of Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish, for governments of both city and parish were altered to a great degree. In April of 1912, Lake Charles became to central point of a political controversy, which was to determine the destiny of one-fourth of Louisiana. In 1910, a movement had been started to divide old "imperial" Calcasieu into several parishes. On the basis of a State Supreme Court decision, it was deemed that the division could not take place until after the rearrangement of the representative districts of the state following the next federal census. (27) In May, H.C. Drew informed the city that the division of the old parish would be voted upon in November. Lake Charles defeated the issue. (28)

In April of 1912, a division convention from all parts of the parish assembled in Lake Charles. L. Kaufman, prominent Lake Charles civic leader, was nominated as chairman of the Parish Division Committee, which attempted to reconcile all divergent views to a fruitful conclusion of the issue. (29) After years of embittered agitation, a parish convention was called to be held in Lake Charles on May 4. The plan gave adequate representation to every voting precinct with one delegate for every 100 voters. Lake Charles was well represented by twenty-two delegates, most of whom were the policy makers of the convention. (30) A Shreveport journalist felt that Calcasieu was too vast to be governed as a single parish and should be divided into four parts. (31) The Lake Charles Press was not convinced of the wisdom of the division, but concluded that something should be done to end the years of bickering, which had preceded the convention. (32) The final vote in favor of the plan was 119 to twenty-eight, and Lake Charles became the capital of a smaller parish of 1,060 square miles. (33)

In Lake Charles the period between 1910 and 1913 was marked by increasing extravagance in city finances, and by the end of this period the city was deeply in debt. (34) "The old form of government," wrote on columnist, "is on a reef, a hopeless wreck."(35) A New Orleans journalist, writing in 1912, called for "co-operative action between the friends of commission government in Lake Charles, Monroe, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, and a concerted descent upon the legislature."(36) The local newspapers in Lake Charles appealed to the citizens that the business of the city was in need of more efficient administration. The city’s financial condition was worsened by the overspending of city funds. It had been the contention of Mayor Richard that all his financial difficulties were due to the prohibition drain on the city revenue. In contradiction, the Daily American-Press commented that the total city revenue before prohibition was $80,000. Out of this amount, $20,000 was granted to schools and the rest was used for various funds. (37) The newspapers charged that: Neither the mayor, the city council, nor the people can have a clear understanding of what is being done with the city hall funds and the fire station funds, unless they are likewise separated; one heading showing he receipts from sale of bonds, and expenditures on building account, the other receipts for the taxes collected to meet the bonds and interest, and the money expended in redeeming bonds and paying interest. The city throw all the money higgledy-piggledy into one fund. (38)

The year that prohibition was enacted the city received $25,000. At the same time, the street paving and city hall debts were paid, and the burden for the support of schools was lifted from the council by a special school tax. The estimated revenue, minus saloon money, was between $50,000 and $55,000. The budget of Richard’s first year, as compared with the first year of his second administration, totaled $51,900 for 1909 and $53,600 for 1911. In September of 1910, the treasury balance sheet indicated a contingent fund overdrawn by $721.92. A balance to the credit of the other funds showed that the city had a net balance of $600 on hand. In the opinion of William Krebs, this was sufficient evidence to prove that the city could run on its own income; yet the financial report of 1912 indicated a policy of deficit spending. The 1911 budget had called for $51,800, but $67,353.95 was spent. (39) The financial difficulty of Lake Charles paralleled that of most of the major cities of the United States in the early part of the twentieth century. (40)

The commission form of government, as a remedy for these inefficiencies, enjoyed much popularity in the early part of the century. As one historian has observed, few of the political reforms secured during the Progressive era have had such a lasting vitality. (41) Arthur S. Link described this form of government as the "most far-reaching progressive proposal for institutional change. (42) Commission government was defined in 1911 as "that form of city government in which a small board (less than ten) elected at large, exercises substantially the entire municipal authority, each member being assigned as a head of a rather definite division of the administrative work; the commission being subject to one or more means of direct popular control such as publicity of proceedings, recall, referendum, initiative, and a non-partisan ballot. (43) The essential feature of the commission plan is a commission composed of only a few members, elected by the people, and having all legislative and administrative functions of the city within its grasp. The outstanding advantages are: (1) conspicuous responsibility and hence accountability to the people, and (2) abandonment of the old theory of checks and balances in municipal government. (44) Arthur S. Link has pointed out the role played by business in the reform movements of the Progressive era, and it was thought in Lake Charles that the commission form of government would give the city "a better business deal." (45)

The commission movement, which eventually became the "adopted child of organized business," was originally a plan for providing remedies for the inefficiency and poor service of American city government. (46) The commission form was not a new type of government; it had been adopted before the Progressive era. The first Commission was formed in Sacramento, California, in 1863. (47) The commission form of city government was later adopted in New Orleans in 1870 and in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1879. (48)

In order to promote water commerce in Galveston, a group of citizens formed a "deep water committee," which resulted in what has become the modern commission form of government. Realizing the inability of the old government to cope with the conditions that were threatening to ruin Galveston, this committee took steps toward restoring the city to a sound foundation based on the Memphis plan of 1879, and in 1901, the commission form was adopted. It was to have a major effect on municipal reform in the nation. (49) In 1905 the commission form of government was adopted in Houston, Texas, and Boston adopted the plan in 1909.

Like Lake Charles, Galveston was viewed "not as a city at all, but as a great ruined business," and it was the theory of the commission plan "that a municipality is largely a business corporation" whose affairs should be administered by application of "business methods to the public service. (50) Thus the voters were seen as stockholders and the commissioners as comprising the Board of Directors of "an ordinary business corporation." (51) The biggest argument for the commission was that it would assure the election of "good business men" to office. (52) The years immediately following 1907 saw growth in the popularity of the commission government. For this reason, the general legislature of Louisiana passed a blanket act in 1910, Act 302, which provided for the adoption of commission government for all cities of 7,500 or more with the exceptions of New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Monroe. (53) On April 4 1912, the city council of Lake Charles unanimously voted to change its form of government to a commission form, as proposed by a citizen committee.(54) On May 25, Representative Powell of Calcasieu Parish proposed a bill which was later adopted, providing for a blanket act which would enable these cities to adopt the commission form. (55) In 1910 the Lake Charles city charter was amended under Louisiana Act 12 in order to permit the commission form of government. The latter act was approved on July 11 1912, and by Act 207, the city charter of Lake Charles was amended the same day. (56)

Mayor Richard, after receiving a petition signed by 460 citizens, on November 12 called a special election for December 17 for the purpose of voting on the commission form of government. (57) F. E. Stoneraker, a lumber capitalist from Memphis, urged Lake Charles to adopt the modern form of government, stating that "the commission is at all times obliged to lay its cards face upwards on the table, and play its hand open…"He commented further that "the city commission, with the proper observance of the spirit of the law, will be a board of managers for the city of Lake Charles, hired to manage its business, just as a manager may be hired for any business, strictly accountable to its employers." (58) Edwin F. Gayle, the city attorney who drew up the new charter, recalled that there was very little debate on the advisability of the plan. It was simply a case of outgrowing the old aldermanic system and adopting a form of government, which was a "standard of the time." (59) A contemporary journalist observed: That the present form (aldermanic) of government for Lake Charles is inefficient, extravagant and unsatisfactory seems to be generally acknowledged. During the campaign just closing not a voice has been raised in its behalf and not a line penned in its defense. The American-Press believes that commission government in any form is preferable. Moreover, it has confidence in the ability of the people of Lake Charles to run their own government, which they have not had a chance to do under the present method. It believes that Lake Charles has men honest and able enough to make commission government a success. (60)

The election was of much interest; for example, by 2:00 p.m., 400 votes had been cast in the four election districts of the city, and one observer predicted that the proportion in favor of the proposal could be eighty to ninety percent of the total vote. The election resulted in a headline, which read, "LAKE CHARLES THROWS OFF THE SHACKLES BY TEN TO ONE VOTE." (61) Lake Charles was the fifth city in Louisiana to adopt the commission form of government, and it was noted that Lake Charles, like New Orleans, had cast a relatively large majority of votes in favor of the measure. (62) An Alexandria columnist commented that "the Lake Charles people had studied the question from the foundation up" and were convinced that it would be for the good of the city. (63) The Franklin Watchman proposed that Lake Charles would be under the watchful eye of the towns of southwest Louisiana, and if the "business government" worked in Lake Charles, it would probably be adopted by other cities in the area. (64)

On December 21, shortly after the charter election, George L. Riling, a local contractor, announced his candidacy for mayor. The election was evaluated as being one that had attracted more attention and excitement then any in several years. (65) The main issue was Mayor Richard’s financial record. The press summed up the issue in stating: "The old form of government is on the reef, a hopeless wreck. Is it your idea of a change to steer the new craft around that way and pick up the old captain from among the wreckage to be its commander at twice the salary?" (66)

In the first primary 1,058 votes were cast, setting a new "high water mark" in the city’s electoral history. The results indicated that the voters of the city favored by overwhelming majority a change in the city officers, as well as in the form of government. Richard barely go into a second primary, polling only twenty-six votes more than Henry J. Geary. It was noted that almost every cabman in the city was hired to convey the voters to the polls in the first primary, and "if anyone failed to vote, it would not be the candidates’ fault. (67) In the second primary, Riling, who was supported by the American-Press, defeated Richard; and in a general election held in April, Riling, E. L. Gorham, Commissioner of Streets and Parks, and Commissioner of Finance, respectively. (68)

During the commission controversy, many improvements were accomplished by the outgoing aldermanic system. A fire station was provided for Ward Four at a cost of $1,798.00, giving to Lake Charles two fire stations manned by twelve men and one chief, with updated equipment. (69) In March the council made improvements of the streets and began consideration of a wharf franchise on the waterfront. By April over a half million dollars had been spent in rebuilding Lake Charles since the fire. (70) While pointing out the extravagance of Richard’s administration, the newspapers admitted that he had kept his promises. (71) The mayor’s promise of a new sewerage system was realized in June of 1909 by the creation of sewerage district number one.(72) Edwin Gale influenced the council to let out bids for five miles of street paving, which represented an expenditure of $200,000 in addition to the budgeted public improvements expenditure. The program of school-building, sewerage system and other improvements had cost a total amount of $700,000 since Richard had taken office. City hall was completed and the city treasury indicated a balance of $43,677.33 in April of 1912. (73) Other measures included calling of an election for the levying of a special tax in May for Westlake Bridge, which would contribute notably to the economy. (74)

Protests arose against sidewalk paving in a number of sections in the city, and in June, the council acted as a Committee of the whole, along with the City Engineer, and toured the disputed sections. (75) After this inspection the council rejected all bids because of excessive costs by nine to none majority. (76) The council was praised as having saved the city $5,000 to $30,000, and at a later meeting, revised bids were rejected on the recommendation of City Engineer Handel. (77) A secondary reason for the lack of haste in the matter was the fact that the sewerage system would not be completed until mid-November, and most observers felt it advisable to wait. J.A. Bright, a prominent Houston businessman, was strongly impressed with the similarity between Lake Charles’s plight and that of Houston twenty years previously. (78)

The period between July 1, 1913, and the end of 1916 was a period of stabilization in which the new commission government resolved the financial status of the city and provided for many improvements. During 1913 paving gained prominent significance on the docket of the council. Several streets were provided with either brick or asphalt paving, thus beginning a program, which would last until the end of the period. (79) By 1913 surveys of the city indicated that Lake Charles had a total of 467 blocks and between 4,000 and 5,000 properties assessed at a little under seven million dollars. (80) Under the old aldermanic system of 1899 the letting of paving bids had been rather lax, but under the commission system the letting of contracts was under tougher control and there was little of the graft which had occurred in 1902 under the Poe administration. (81) On October 14 an election was held which resulted in notable support for $900,000 in bonds for improvements or parish reads. The election was labeled as "the dawn of a new era. (82) The tax rate of the city totaled 23 ½ mills and was divided as follows: city tax , ten mills; special city school tax, ten mills; city hall tax, one and one-fourth mills; fire station tax, one-half mill; and paving tax, one and three-fourths mills. When the paving of Ryan Street became entangled in legal controversy in 1914, City Attorney J. A. Williams was instructed to sue the McGuire-Stanton Construction Company for non-fulfillment of contract. In 1906, the company completed work on Ryan Street and a few years later the pavement began to sink. Edwin Gayle, although instructed to sue, had failed to do so under the old aldermanic system, and the bond was allowed to lapse. (83)

Although Lake Charles had needed a sewerage system for many years, she was reluctant to consent to its installation. The Board of Health in April of 1914 warned citizens that if they would not comply in hooking up to the sewerage system it would implement an ordinance, which called for a $50 fine for those refusing to comply. (84) The city commission also made improvements in the police department. It fired the oldest policeman on the force, and it was noted that by 1914 the city police department had become more efficient in the control of crime. (85)

In April 1914, paving was restricted to the business district, and seldom did a week pass that the commission did not approve a pacing petition; over 100 men were engaged in paving work by mid-1914. The city had voted bonds of $100,000 earlier in the year in a paving program which was the largest such effort in the city’s history prior to that time. (86)

The budget for 1915 underwent intensive debate, resulting in the adoption in November of a $69,800 budget - a $15,000 increase over that of the pervious year. Twenty thousand dollars was set aside for bank loans and interest, leaving $10,000 less than was available to run the city during the previous years. It was felt by the commissioners that the first step in returning the city to a more stable fiscal policy could be accomplished by paying back indebtedness. The total expenditures for 1914 had been $39,800, which balanced exactly with the total revenue. (87) By January 1, 1915, of the $117,000 due for city taxes, $62,000 had been collected. (88)

By 1915, the population was crowding 18,000, the majority of the citizens living in the second ward, or north of Division Street. The increase population was reflected in the passing of a traffic ordinance, which set a speed limit of eight miles per hour. Merchants took a more active part in politics and gained co-operation with the council in encouraging trade and commerce. (89) W. E. Barrett made application for a gas franchise, which was constructed at a cost of $91, 000. (90) By mid-1915 Lake Charles had seventy-five miles of concrete sidewalks and seven miles of street paving, much of which was in brick, representing a $250,000 expenditure. (91) One columnist, in describing the reforms of the new government in the letting of bids for paving, commented: (The City) not only let the contracts for paving on all streets as originally planned by the old city council, but effected such a saving on the contract that enough funds were left to defray the city’s share in the cost of paving Kirkman Street between Kirby and Lawrence, and Division Street for a couple of blocks, the whole of which represents paving worth close to $50,000. Altogether about 100,000 square yards of pacing were laid under these contracts, of which 35,000 yards are asphaltic concrete, and 65,000 brick. (92)

While municipal government was developing in a more stable direction, the supremacy of the Democratic Party in Lake Charles and in Calcasieu underwent a temporary setback. Between 1910 and 1916, Lake Charles remained Democratic; nevertheless, there was a notable minority trend toward socialism and the Republican Party. In l912, J.R. Jones, a Socialist, ran against A. P. Pujo in the general election for Congressman of the Seventh District. Jones conducted an active campaign, touring all important areas of the district. In evaluating the effectiveness of the Socialist Party’s efforts in the state, one historian has observed: In November J. R. Jones (a Red) challenged Congressman A. P. Pujo for his seat, but only in the upland and limber areas of the seventh district did he show strength, receiving but 706 votes to his opponent’s 7,393. (93) Pujo carried every parish in the district in the general election, polling his largest vote in Calcasieu Parish, where he received 2,905 votes; and Jones received his largest vote in that parish , where he polled 241 votes. Socialism had been rejected in Lake Charles in the late 1890’s, but in 1902, a notice in a local paper indicated that there was a definite socialist group headed by C. L. Daniels. (94)

In 1912, Jones made another attempt, running against Dr. L Lazaro, who won a notable majority in Ward Three in the first and second primary, as well as in the general election. In the 1912 Presidential election, Woodrow Wilson carried Lake Charles with 602 votes; Theodore Roosevelt had sixty-seven. Eugene Debs defeated Taft by a margin of four votes with his largest support coming from ward four. Debs received a total of 563 votes in the parish.(95) On March 10, 1914, Debs spoke in Lake Charles, where preparation were made by "local socialists" to make the occasion a notable one. (96) Approximately 1,500 people attended the meeting, including a good many socialists, as well as businessmen, professional men, and labor men. (97) Debs spoke again on November 4 in support of the candidacy of W. _. Dietz, a prominent Lake Charles Socialist, for Congress. Attendance had decreased to between 500 and 600. Dietz received sixty-two votes to 395 for Lazaro, the Democrat, and 356 for Taylor, the Republican. The following year Dietz ran on the Socialist Ticket for treasurer. (98) In 1915 a newspaper entitled The Lake Charles Democrat was established to support the principles of the Democratic Party as set forth in the national platform. In the 1916 presidential election, Lake Charles supported Wilson by an overwhelming majority. (99)

Reform movements began to mature into significance during this period. A Farmer’s League was organized in southwest Lake Charles, and although it did not have a tangible effect on city politics, it did have a voice in parish affairs. (100) Prohibition and suffrage were debated during the period and matured as political issues. In 1910, several arrests were made for breaking the prohibition law, and by May, 1910, arrests were on an increase in the Battle Row district. In a case involving the Spence Brothers, who where charged with violation on the prohibition law, the issue mushroomed into a controversy over the legality of the measure. The main question was raised over paragraph three, section five, of the 1899 city charter, which provided that the police jury would have no jurisdiction within the limits of the city, and thus making parish prohibition illegal within Lake Charles. (101) The legality of the prohibition was upheld, due to the efforts of a local prohibitionist group active in instituting the prohibition law. (102)

The year 1916 saw the completion of a three-year street-paving program instituted by the commission. By June Lake Charles had a total of fifty-one blocks of brick-paved streets totaling over three miles in first class condition. The Somers System of assessment had been installed by the city two years previously. Implemented effectively in collecting revenue, it aided the commission in providing improvements in undeveloped areas of the city. Lake Charles was fifth in the state in telephone service, having 1, 477 telephones. (113) The major issue of 1916 involved the option held by the city on the municipal waterworks, which would expire the following year. For several years it had been debated whether Lake Charles should purchase it water utilities, which were owned by he Lake Charles Railway, Light and Waterworks Company. Several sections of the city had been paying city taxes for twenty years without benefit of water for drinking or fire protection. In a letter to Mayor Riling, Dr. Oscar Dowling, president of the State Board of Health, commented upon the health conditions created by the existing inadequate water service: It is a matter of regret that while there are twenty-four miles of water mains. This necessarily is a deprivation of many citizens and creates conditions which, within its corporate limits, no city should tolerate. Therefore, the first and most important obligation of Lake Charles is to have the water main extended, either by the purchase of the water plant of a fair and just valuation or the construction and operation of a plant owned by the city. (114)

The local Board of Health was inefficacious in the issue because in April the Grand Jury investigated the board and found that they had been "very lax" in their duties and suggested that they be restructured. (115) The city hired an engineer to investigate the water system. A local newspaper urged that it supplement the needs of all the taxpayers by retaining the option and not granting a franchise, which would continue to be inadequate for the city. (116) It was felt that the municipal waterworks was a paying proposition.(117) The Chamber of Commerce established a committee which met with Mayor Riling on the question. Riling felt that if the municipal system was put in to operation, it would not be utilized to its full capacity. He elaborated by commenting: It is possible that some of the users of water supplied by the private company would object to connecting up with the municipal system, unless the city would pay for the connections. In cases where streets have been paved in front of consumers’ houses this would be very expensive. Between the users of water who would want to keep on patronizing the private company, and the Lake Charles Railway, Light, and Waterworks Company, which most certainly would exert effort to use its plant should the city fail to but it, it is probable that long and expensive litigation would ensue. (118) The private plant, which was priced at $241,082, was comprised of sixteen miles of water mains, sixty-nine hydrants, having 1,150 consumer connections utilizing 1,250,000 gallons daily. (119) The voters were to decide whether to buy the plant and make whatever improvements were necessary out of its earnings of $30,000 a year, or whether the present plant was meeting the needs of the city. (120) The people rejected the measure by a margin of 386 to 132. (121) Thus the Lake Charles citizenry had rejected for the second time what could have been a valuable asset to the improvement of civic facilities. Unlike surrounding cities, Lake Charles chose to rely strictly on tax revenues for public improvements, thus causing a definite handicap to her general progress. When G. W. Ford arrived in Lake Charles in 1916, he saw a progressive young city, which showed great promise for the future. (122) The commission government in its first three years in office had implemented successfully more improvements than had been accomplished in the previous decade.

CHAPTER V

LAKE CHARLES MATURES: 1916 - 1930

The first three years of the commission government stabilized the government of Lake Charles and enabled the city to carry out those projects, which had previously been found impractical for lack of direction. The period, 1916 - 1930, can be divided into two parts: 1916 - 1921, when the lumber industry began its decline and the rice market tumbled to an all-time low; and 1921 - 1930, when Lake Charles made its economic recovery, with its gain of a deep water port perhaps the deciding factor. Municipal improvements showed limited progress until 1923, when the first major program in this area were implemented. The improvement of leadership in the city government was reflected in a more responsible fiscal policy.

The municipal election of 1917 was an evaluation of the new commission form of government. Six candidates entered the race for mayor, four of whom were actually well qualified for the position. W.J. Chastain was a local businessman, whose seven-point progressive platform paralleled that of his three chief opponents. Chastain’s plan for reform was (1) to do away with blind tigers and gambling, by regulating vices and confining them to separate districts; (2) to exercise impartial enforcement of laws and ordinances and to bring up to standard the police organization of the city; (3) to place major stress upon improving the public schools of the city; (4) to inaugurate regular inspection of the streets; (5) to work for municipal ownership of the electric light and water system; (6) to use city prisoners to improve streets; and (7) to insure general betterment of a good clean city. (1)

J. T. Rock, former alderman, presented a challenge to incumbent Mayor Riling by running on his formidable record as a public servant. A citizen of Lake Charles for twenty-four years, he had occupied several important public positions and served as an active member of several public committees. Rock had been on the committee that formulated the 1897 charter and had served as an alderman for three two-year terms thereafter. He was chairmen of the Finance Committee and was said to be "one of the most successful administrators of this committee in history." He had served as chairmen of the chairman of the Improvement Committee, which negotiated a new electric light franchise with the Lake Charles Railway, Light and Waterworks Company. He aided in supervising the laying of the first brick paving on Ryan and Pujo Streets, and he later was effective on the Blocking, Naming and Numbering of Streets Committee. His most important contribution, however, was his membership on the committee appointed to assess all property in Lake Charles under the Sommers System. (2)

Mayor Riling ran on his record. His greatest competition for the post came from J. A. (Josh) Trotti, formerly of the Lake Charles Police Department and a prominent business figure in the community. Although the campaign was highly competitive, the candidates did not follow the old custom whereby individually each hired as many automobiles as he could afford or procure; instead, all the candidates pooled their resources and hired twelve cars, three for each polling place. (3) A heavy vote was cast in the first primary; by mid-day 600 votes out of a possible 1,500 had been polled and indications were that the vote would be the "fullest size vote in the history of Lake Charles." It was predicted that 1,200 votes would be cast. This was the first election in which the Negro bloc vote of the city gained major significance. The following chart indicates the distribution of white and Negro voters: (4)

Lake Charles White Black Total

Precinct 1 164 277 401

Precinct 2 181 330 511

Precinct 3 231 65 296

Precinct 4 285 66 351

Totals: 860 698 1559

The first primary resulted in runoffs between Riling and Trotti for mayor, Gauthier and Wentz for finance commissioner, and Gorham and Crosby for streets and parks commissioner. (5) Riling ran ahead of Trotti by a margin of thirty-eight votes, but Trotti’s main strength came from the Negro districts of Wards One and Two, where he defeated Riling by a notable majority. The second primary was even more active than the first. Wentz intensified his campaign, claiming that his bookkeeping had kept the city on an even financial keel. He favored municipal ownership of light and water facilities and emphasized a need for cleanliness of streets and parks and impartial law enforcement. (6) A general election was called on April 17, but Trotti had no opposition. (8) In a post-electoral Trotti set the guidelines for his administration by saying: "I look upon the job of mayor as being about that of president of a board of directors, and the people of the city as stockholders. I want them to all know that every time they have something to present to me or to the commission they will be given the fullest consideration, the same as a stockholder in any concern should certainly be considered by its board of directors."(9)

The period between the election of 1917 and 1920 was dominated by events relating to World War I. By April 1917, thirty-five young men had joined the Army and several mass meetings had been held supporting the war effort. One such meeting resulted in the organization of a company under Thomas F. Proter and V. A. Bell. (10)

The city made several needed improvements during this period. In 1917, the fire department was modernized and J. A. Lyons was selected as Chief of Police of a force of six men. (11) In 1918, after several years of hesitation and uncertainty, the council decided to abolish houses of prostitution in the city limits. (12) In 1915, the Protestant ministers of the city had again asked Mayor Riling to abolish the segregated "red light districts" which had existed for many years. Activity in the district was increasing and the district itself was expanding toward the business part of town. Nothing was done in regard to this situation, for some observers believed that its abolishment would only cause prostitution to spread to all parts of the city; for various reasons others felt that the city should have such a district. (13) It is very doubtful that the actions of the council in 1918 were effective in destroying the red light districts, as most of the houses of prostitution merely scattered to various parts of the city.

The city council moved cautiously during the war. Although more than 100 citizens presented a petition asking for water, street paving, and streetlights, only minor improvements were authorized until 1919, when the commissioners decided to pave five streets. (14) The city’s property value had increased to $12,237,370 and taxes collected during 1918 amounted to $199,228.90. (15) The worst disaster since the fire of 1910 occurred in 1918, when a hurricane demolished the greater part of the city, thus impeding further growth until after 1921. Seven mills in Lake Charles were destroyed. The loss of the Union Sulphur Company was $3,000,000. A large number of homes were ruined and the crops damaged. The school buildings suffered a damage of $50,000. The first Negro brick school building was erected shortly after the storm. (16)

During the early 1920’s, Lake Charles underwent a staggering depression. (17) The economy reached its nadir in 1921 when the price of rice "went to pieces" and local agriculture interests were defaulted. (18) When the young Assistant District Attorney Sam H. Jones, later governor of Louisiana, arrived on January 1 1925, he found a town that was "economically pretty well rundown" and gradually drying up. (19)

The most important happening of the decade, and probably the most important economic step in the city’s history, came in 1926 when Lake Charles gained a deep-water port. In 1909, Congressman Pujo had gained an appropriation of $300, 000 to construct a portion of an Intercoastal canal. On January 4 1910, Pujo introduced a bill, which called for more funds to complete the project. In June 1910, President Taft signed the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Bill, which provided for its construction. (20)

Although Lake Charles was on the Intercoastal Canal, which connects the Calcasieu and Sabine Rivers, it was only fourteen feet deep, thus making it impossible for heavy ships to navigate it. (21) An effort was made in Lake Charles in November 1916, to gain federal funds to obtain deep-water facilities like those of Beaumont and Port Arthur. (22) In the November election, Lake Charles overwhelmingly supported a proposed amendment to the State Constitution providing for improvement of a deep-water port at Lake Charles. (23) A special waterworks tax was voted by Calcasieu Parish and supported in Lake Charles. (24)

During the war, the movement for the port was stopped temporarily. (25) Then in February, 1920, the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce adopted, as its most important objective, the securing of a thirty-foot channel to the Gulf of Mexico. (26) In May of that year, H. B. Bayliss, manager of the Lake Charles Association of Commerce, intensified the campaign by attracting civic interest; clearly the people of Lake Charles wanted a port. (27) Yet the attempt to secure federal assistance to open a deep-water channel failed when U. S. Army Engineers refused the proposal, stating that it could not be done and would not work. (28)

In 1920, Lake Charles was in financial stress; by 1925, it was feared that Lake Charles was a dying city. (29) The people of Lake Charles knew that without a change "the growth of Lake Charles would be dwarfed and a city which through its natural waterways might have had a glorious future (would be) doomed to remain a small community." (30) The citizens realized that their sawmills had virtually depleted surrounding forests of virgin pine. By 1925, due to the "cut cut and get out" policy, Calcasieu Parish limber mills had, for the most part, closed. (31) The city population had not grown as rapidly between 1910 and 1920 as it had in the previous decade. In 1920, Lake Charles had only 13,088 inhabitants. (32)

In 1921, the people of Lake Charles made the momentous decision to build a ship channel and port facilities with local funds. The Constitution of 1921 abolished the navigation districts provided for in the earlier constitution; under the 1921 document, voters had to approve projects in their parishes. The police jury called a special election in 1922 and, despite opposition from the Union Sulphur Company, a bond carried at the polls. It was then fought in the courts. The District Court of Calcasieu Parish found the election returns incorrect, and the Louisiana State Supreme Court decided in favor of the parish and the bond issue (33) Although the municipal government was not a major factor in the project, Mayor Trotti was one of the most outspoken advocates of the port and argued the necessity of such a facility to the community: Beaumont and Port Arthur have been leading us of late, but we are still ahead of Orange. Now that we are entering young manhood, with prospects of losing a portion of our inheritance, we have got to strike out on our own resources, and do something on our account. Deep water is our one best bet. All Lake Charles and Calcasieu need is that thirty-foot depth, and 125-foot bottom - the business is here and the ships from the ports of the world will be glad to come and get it. The Association of Commerce and its ports and waterways committee will deserve lasting praise if deep water is secured - but failure will reflect on the whole community. LET’S GET DEEP WATER. (34)

The city of Lake Charles took on the responsibility for the first seaport issue of $1,700, 000. The amount was later raised to $4,450,000, and finally to $7,750,000.(35) It was a bold undertaking for a small community of this size to assume such a burden and carry to completion a project of such magnitude. According to Sam Jones, the preliminary steps towards the gaining of a port for Lake Charles was this civic project. It marked the beginning of a phenomenal change, which produced a new industrial personality for Lake Charles, and the dawn of a new era in the politics of this small, depressed, secluded, and struggling city. (36) Act 67, passed in 1924, created the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District, established a Board of Commissioners, and defined its powers, jurisdictions, and duties. (37)

The port’s formal opening on November 30, 1926, was an occasion for celebration in Lake Charles unequalled except by Armistice Day, 1918. (38) The first vessel used the port in 1926. One of the original Dock Board members has commented that "a remarkable feature of the Port of Lake Charles is that after the first five years it operated on its own income without special taxes being levied and through the influence of the late Huey Long, with the assistance of Alvin O. King, who was State Senator, and then Governor, the Port of Lake Charles, the port of New Orleans, and the schools of the state were given portions of a one cent gasoline tax.(39) Huey P. Long considered the Port of Lake Charles and its improvements as one of the essential parts of his 1930 legislative "plan of improvements."(40)

With the timber reserve depleted and the new port a reality, Lake Charles searched for other possible economic resources. (41) She found a chief source in her mineral wealth and agriculture. In 1896, the Union Sulphur Company had established an industry just east of Lake Charles. The sulfur mine developed into the largest plant of its kind in the world and was second only to the Ford Motor Company in investment returns. (42) Crude oil, which had been noticed as early as 1911, was discovered in quantity around the flanks of the sulfur dome. Drilling for oil began in the summer of 1925, and soon became a formidable industry. (43) In the late 1920’s the Mathieson Corporation investigated the area as a suitable place for its alkali works because of the available transportation facilities. It erected a plant there in 1934. (44) The agricultural depression of 1921 had subsided by the middle of the twenties, and rice production was again significant in the city’s economic picture. In 1926 a rice mill, called the largest of its kind in the world, was established in Lake Charles. (45)

Although Lake Charles was in a depression, the political activity of the city during the 1920’s maintained the exuberance seen in the 1917 municipal council race. The 1921 primary was probably one of the toughest campaigns in the history of the city, and evidenced a maturing of heated issues in municipal politics. The first primary, held on March 8, was prefaced by several political rallies, speeches, threats, and by much mud slinging. Incumbent Mayor Trotti held two meetings, one in Goosport, where his strength had grown since the 1917 election, and the second at Locke Playground in the central part of the city. (46) Trotti’s platform was based on his record of moral reform and his campaign against crime and the red-light district of the city. He accused one of his opponents of conducting a campaign of "slander and vituperation" from whispering galleries and dark alleys of the city. He promised a forward program, which would get the city out of debt without placing it in bankruptcy, a solution to the water problem, and more capable management of public utilities. The paramount issue in Trotti’s platform was responsible police protection of homes and property. He accused his opponents of being supported by a "united underworld" and contended that all of organized crime was against him. He appealed to the voters: "Let no political camouflage deceive you. The issue is with the people."(47)

Trotti’s chief opponent was Charles Martin, whose campaign was vigorous and extravagant. Martin had the support of prominent citizens, two of whom were E. R. Kaufman and Arthur Gayle. His platform paralleled that of Trotti’s. He called for enforcement of laws against gambling houses, blind tigers, and houses of prostitution; a settlement of the water problem; support of the port issue; a cooperate effort to implement programs for better drainage and sewerage, water, lights; and a campaign for more industry in Lake Charles. (48) George Riling, the third major candidate, supported the same issues as in 1917 and ran on his record as mayor. (49)

The commissioner races, although not as heated as the mayor’s race, occasioned several rallies for the candidates. The number of voters in Lake Charles had almost doubled since 1917. There were now 1,179 females. This election was the first affected by the nineteenth amendment providing for woman suffrage. The following chart indicates the distribution of voter by sex. (50)

Ward 3 Total Male Female

Precinct 1 363 281 82

Precinct 2 710 450 260

Precinct 3 995 579 416

Precinct 4 1069 648 421

Totals: 3137 1058 1179

Another indication of the strength of the women was the effect the Housewives’ League had on the campaign. This group favored a municipal inspector of weights and measures, a proposal that all candidates supported. The Housewives’ League later established a cooperative market in the central part of town. (51)

By noon on Election Day, forty percent of the eligible votes had been polled. The ballot was short, with only fourteen candidates competing for three offices. The American- Press reported that the long lines of 1917 were absent in the 1921 primary. Trotti defeated his nearest opponent by an impressive majority of 284 votes. The election was termed "the heaviest vote in the history of Lake Charles." Eighty-five percent of those eligible, or 2,507 voters, participated. The first twenty-five votes at each Precinct indicated an election for Trotti, J. H. Funderburg, and E. L. Gorham. Gorham at one point was second by 300 votes, but he gained a slight lead and held first place for the remainder of the day. Trotti and Funderburg led from beginning to end, drawing their largest support from Wards Two, Three, and Four, while Riling carried Wards One and Two. (52) In his post-election address to the citizens of Lake Charles, Trotti characterized his campaign as a "clean cut fight for principles," one to which the city "responded nobly." He considered his election as a mandate supporting his policies and promised that he would "finish the fight" against the underworld. He concluded: I shall lay aside all factional feeling, for I bear no ill will against any one. I appeal for the cooperation of all the citizens of Lake Charles in devising and carrying out a constructive program for the building of a greater city and the vigorous enforcement of law and order. For months past, I could make no move in any public matter without being charged with a political purpose and I am therefore, especially glad that these problems of the future can now be taken up on a strictly business basis in such a way that no ulterior motive can be charged against anyone. (53)

Mayor Trotti, who was born in Jasper County, Texas, had moved to Lake Charles while in his teens and gone to work in a local livery stable. He later became a partner in this business and also one of the organizers and owners of an undertaking establishment. Trotti’s record, as one journalist has stated, could be summed up as a career against vice in the city and a clean cut campaign against unsavory districts of the city. He began his campaign against crime as active Head of the Police Department, taking part in many raids in the red light district, and area he helped to abolish. (54) Trotti, judged the American-Press, had a forceful personality and "spoke his mind with frankness and vigor on any question that might arise and adhered relentlessly to his convictions in public affairs. (55)

During Trotti’s tenure of office, the council’s work move ahead steadily each day until work on the day’s calendar was completed. Trotti bent his energies toward running the city on a cash basis from the time he first took office until his death. (56) His concern was that the city live within its budget; and during the 1920’s, the Trotti administration actually did so. He implemented the first major street-paving program in the city’s history during his second administration, with an appropriation of $112,000. Trotti was a very capable businessman, a "political firebrand" who was "always ready to take the stump for politics he believed right and against those he considered wrong."

Trotti’s political activities went beyond the city limits of Lake Charles. Along with L. H. Moss, he had been one of the organizers of the State Good Government League, which in 1912 with the election of Luther E. Hall overthrew the domination of the New Orleans machine in state politics. A distant cousin of Huey P. Long, Trotti broke with him bitterly as the senator ascended to power. In the United States senatorial campaign of 1930, Trotti supported Long’s opponent Broussard. Trotti also was active in obtaining the reduction of telephone rates throughout the state. As a public speaker Mayor Trotti used a direct approach, "driving home his own brand if effective delivery, getting at the meat of the subject and telling about it frankly." One of the most effective speeches delivered on behalf of the deep-water proposal was made by Trotti when he presided over a giant mass meeting at Locke Park as a feature of the closing campaign. (57)

Sam Jones felt that Trotti’s qualities of courage, frankness, and honestly led to his business and political success. The Commissioner of Finance stated at Trotti’s death that during the fifteen years they had worked together Trotti had always fought for honest, economical government. (58) Elected mayor four terms, Trotti was defeated for that office twice - in 1925 and in 1929. In the race in 1925, opposed by Henry J. Geary and Hard Wentz, Trotti lost to Geary by a narrow margin in a second primary run off. (59)

Henry J. Geary had come to Lake Charles in 1877. He served with the Police Department, and from 1885 to 1889 was the bookkeeper with the United States Mint in New Orleans. He served as alderman from 1895 to 1899, replacing Crowley in 1899 for a short time. He later defeated Crowley and served as Mayor from 1899 to 1901. In 1905, he was elected to the police jury for a four-year term and was reelected but served only one year of the second term. In 1913 he was appointed Postmaster of Lake Charles and served two terms until 1921. Geary was very much interested in farming and cattle- raising in western Calcasieu where he had a farm. (60)

In the first primary of the 1929 commission election, Leon Locke led Trotti by a margin of 129 votes. Geary trailed Trotti by 439 votes and Riling by 121 votes. Funderburg was re-elected. In the same primary, a proposed $450,000 for the extension of the sewerage system was defeated by a margin of 247 votes. (61) The second primary campaign was quite spirited, and the Trotti campaign committee made an unusually concerted effort to transport voters to the polls. E.L. Gorham was pitted against J. Edgar "Dick" Johnson for Commissioner of Streets and Parks. Johnson led Gorham in the first primary by twenty-two votes. Heavy ballots were cast at all six precincts, Trotti losing by a margin of 180 votes. Johnson defeated Gorham by a margin of fifty-five votes. (62) Thus the Locke ticket was elected and Trotti was returned to office in 1933.

In the 1924 and 1028 gubernatorial election Lake Charles supported Huey P. Long. (63) On the national level the city remained faithful to the Democracy; in 1920 Cox defeated Harding there by a margin of 822 votes. (64) Lake Charles cast 908 votes for Davis, 580 for Coolidge, and thirty-two for La Follette in the 1924 presidential election. (65) In 1928 she favored Al Smith over Herbert Hoover by a margin of 625 votes, with Hoover carrying Wards Four, Five, and Six. (66)

During the 1920’s, the activity of the Ku Klux Klan in Lake Charles was limited to relatively non-violent activity. In 1922, at a ceremony on East Broad Street, 300 new members were initiated before 800 robed figures. Between eight and ten thousand people watched the affair; a year later, at a similar meeting, 25,000 were in attendance. (67)

During the 1920’s the city council did much to improve public facilities in Lake Charles. At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce in February 1920, they suggested aims that would secure a new auditorium, a pleasure pier, a municipal brass band, and a population of 50,000 by 1930. (68) In 1920, public improvements went ahead as needed despite the depression. Ryan Street and Railroad Avenue were surfaced with brick pavement. (69) The depression of 1921 subsided by April 1922, and seven million dollars worth of corporation stock was filed in a single year. The citizens of Lake Charles had seen their early errors in not encouraging industry and railroads, and they seemed determined that no such mistake should occur in the future. At the close of 1923, the optimism of the city’s businessmen seemed likely to lead to over-inflation of industry. The prosperity cycle was nearing its climax, soon to be followed by another period of depression.

The Lake Charles School Board again found itself in financial difficulty by the end of 1920. A meeting was held on July 8 for the purpose of calling an election to raise the schedule of the school tax. (70) A "Committee of 25," selected at the meeting, divided into subcommittees to investigate the records of the school and made recommendations to the council on the best action to take. (71) The council met and Mayor Trotti announced that it would take steps to correct the situation; later the committee adopted a special three-mill tax. (72) At the time the citizens were paying, in addition to the three-mill continuous tax, a special tax of six and a half mills; yet the indebtedness of the schools was still more than $100,000. (73) In 1921 Lake Charles voted for a five and a half mill maintenance tax for the schools. (74)

In 1922, a concerted effort for public improvements began. The editor of the Lake Charles American-Press suggested four major projects which the city needed to undertake: $1,000,000 worth of new street paving on the ten-year assessment plan; enlargement of the waterworks system and extension of mains to give water service and fire protection to every block in the city; a city wide system of storm sewers; and an auditorium and community center at Drew Park. (75) A journalist writing after the 1921 municipal campaign commented that the people of Lake Charles realized one thing:

"Unselfish united action was required to construct our magnificent system of roads, to build our concrete bridges, to provide our modern schools and other public buildings to grace the city with our beautiful churches and erect the various lodge homes that would be a credit to a much larger town. Time, money, thought, and labor have been freely given in these audible community undertakings, which are impossible of accomplishment in communities torn by petty political faction." (76)

Lake Charles supported improvements on roads both inside and outside of the city during this period. In 1921, ninety percent voted in favor of a tax to improve parish roads in and around the city. (77) Before 1923 few of the major city streets were paved. (78) In July 1923, the city undertook a large improvement program on streets, sidewalks, and surface drainage. The plans called for improvement of ten miles of sidewalks and paving for ten main streets at a cost of $1,300,000. It was decided that the sidewalks would be constructed under different laws and ordinances than the street paving. (79) The program was to be carried out by early 1025. (80)

By February 1924, improvements had begun on eleven streets, in order to supplement the increase in traffic and to meet demands of industrial growth anticipated after the completion of port facilities two years later. (81) The secondary project of improving sidewalks began in October, despite pretest from property owners, it continued at a rapid pace. (82) By 1927, fourteen miles of street paving had been completed in the four-year plan, and thirty-two miles of sidewalks had been installed, making a total of 120 miles of sidewalks in existence by that year. During 1927 alone, Lake Charles constructed three miles of concrete sidewalks, and by that date had completed thirty-two miles of asphalt, brick, and concrete streets. The total four-year program amounted to an investment of $584,000. (83) By 1924 traffic was becoming a problem, and the council had to regulate parking in certain sections of the city. (84) There were also 100 street lamps added to illuminate the city. (85) By 1926 the improvement program was nearing completion.

The council had problems with telephone rates during this period. In 1921 Mayor Trotti suggested that local government might have a voice in the matter of raising rates in public utilities, but the city attorney felt that local government had no control, and in a letter dated April 21, 1920, stated:

The United States Public Health Committee officially stated in 1922 that the city water was unfit for drinking purposes. Subsequently, the city school system refused to use city water, but no steps were taken during the year to improve it. The problem was not corrected until September of the following year, when Dr. Martin of the Board of Health announced that following chemical treatment the water was again fit for human consumption. (88)

Maude Reid suggests that one of the most lasting accomplishments of Mayor Trotti’s administrations was his emphasis on improving health conditions. In a speech delivered to the Lion’s Club in 1922, Trotti emphasize police protection, fire protection, and health protection as the highest goals in his program. He felt that the prevention of sickness was the most important consideration of any city government. (89) In his fight against illness and disease, Trotti updated the Board of Health, fought for better water, instituted a sanitary code, passed a screening ordinance, and instituted a program to eradicate mosquitoes in Lake Charles. (90)

The financial status of the Lake Charles City council improved during the 1920’s. In 1920, the city council evidenced development of a stable fiscal policy. Former Mayor Charles H. Winterhaler, Certified Public Accountant, reported that in the twelve-month period ending October 1, 1920, $315,800.48 was collected for all purposes, and the balance for the close of the year equaled $18,756.85. Lake Charles, at the close of business on September 30, 1920, had a surplus of $54,960.27. (91) The Lake Charles city tax was reduced to twenty-mills in 1920. City assessment equaled $13,900,000, and the annual budget for 1921 was $157,000, a $10,000 increase over the budget for the former year. (92) In 1921 there was a breakdown in finances because of a lack of revenue. Commissioner of Finance J. H. Funderburg stated "As we are so late in getting collections this year and will run so close to the tax collection period for 1921, before the 1920 books are closed, it is very probable that we will be out of money for a short time at least unless the taxpayers begin early in paying their 1921 taxes." (93)

By 1921, the city was out of debt for the first time in four years. On May 8 1917, shortly after Trotti had taken office, the city owed $10,000 for overdrafts and $65,000 in certificates of indebtedness. In January 1927, the certificated were reduced to $47,500 and it was noted that the city had sufficient money to take care of its floating debt. In addition to the reduction of old debts, the Finance Commissioner’s report indicated that $33,000 had been spent for permanent public improvements and $40,000 for fire equipment, of which $16,000 had been paid. (94) A journalist writing in November 1921, stated: In keeping with the high cost of living, the pay of the firemen, policemen, and street workers and officials have been raised gradually during the last three years. The pay of the firemen and policemen was increased by eighty percent and through the installation of the double platoon fire system the number of firemen was increased by about sixty percent average. In addition to this the city was called on for increased appropriations for charities and better health. The city has also paid the expenses for the "City Plan." (95) The 1922 budget was increased to $116,000. Schools were allocated $42,000, and increases were made to other departments. To meet the expenditures, the city received $142,000 in taxes--$20,000 for licenses, miscellaneous collections $22,000, court fines $2,500, pond fines $600, and electrical inspections $500. (96)

The municipal waterworks controversy arose again in the middle of the decade, when the franchise of the Lake Charles Railway and Waterworks Company was up for renewal. The city of Lake Charles had an inadequate water supply, and Mayor Trotti felt that it was time for the city to act on the problem. He spoke to the city council: We have been for several years trying to secure for the city of Lake Charles an adequate water supply in order to protect the citizens and property of this city. This question arose during my first administration as mayor of the city of Lake Charles, and before either of you gentlemen were as commissioners. The council has taken the position that the water franchise held by the Lake Charles Railway, Light, and Waterworks Company has expired and that they are not operating at the sufferance and will of the Council and the people of the city of Lake Charles…We have made numerous efforts to effect an amicable adjustment and grant a new franchise to the Lake Charles Railway, Light, and Water works Company, the object being to secure added equipment and a better water supply. In furtherance of the policy, the city has gone to the expense and trouble of having prepared a tentative plan and form of franchise such as in the opinion of the council would be satisfactory to the city. (97) In October a hearing was held by Mayor Trotti on the report of field engineers. They had concluded that an "independent municipal waterworks system" should be established at a Cost of $895,000. They also recommended that the city should buy the existing private company. A fair price would be $278,272, but it was noted that if this were done, the existing rates would be increased and needed improvement would not compensate for the investment involved. (98) J. A. Landry of the private company stated that he would have made improvements to meet the demands of the city if he had had the funds. A committee of twenty-five, headed by Randolph Kraues, met at City Hall on June 19 1923, to consider the matter. (99) The question was resolved in 1924 when the Stone and Webster Company of Boston, Massachusetts, reached an agreement with Lake Charles on the utilities franchise. (100)

With this issue solved, city finances became more stable. Tax levies for 1923 were reduced one mill and the budget balanced for 1922 and 1923. In 1924, Commissioner Funderburg declared that for the fourth time the city had gone through a twelve-month period and ended with cash balance. He noted further that the amount left over - a total of $1,192 - was the smallest cash balance of the four years. (101)

"In 1924, a proposal to divide Ward Three into two wards was brought before the people. A petition was circulated and received a notable amount of signatures, but the issue did not reach the polls because it was felt that such a division would not add any efficiency to the parish government. (102) In 1927 the city limits of Lake Charles were extended to include the following area:Starting at a point near the Calcasieu river bridge; then south about one quarter of a mile; then east for one mile to Lake Street; then south about one half mile to Lafitte Street; then east on Lafitte Street for about three quarters of a mile to South Street, about one quarter of a mile to Alamo Street; then east on Alamo Street to the continuation of Louisiana Avenue; then north on this extension to Sallier Street; then east on Sallier Street to Fourth Avenue; then north on Fourth Avenue to Sixth Street; then east on the prolongation of Sixth Street for a distance of about one half mile; then north about two and one half miles to the prolongation of the north boundary of the city; then west to north boundary prolongation to the Calcasieu river to the range line between ranges 8 and 9;then south across the lake along a line running through about the center of the lake to Shell Beach Drive at a point near Lake Street; then west along Shell Beach Drive to the point of beginning near the Calcasieu river bridge." (103)

When G. W. Ford arrived in Lake Charles in 1916 he encountered a small, beautiful town with several thoroughfares lined by palms and noted that it was an ideal place for residency. William Prentis of Detroit, Michigan, returned after a six-year absence in 1922 and stated that the transformation from the village he knew in 1916 to a city had been fully accomplished. (104) The main business district consisted of block after block of substantially built two and three-story brick structures. It had fine streets and gradually acquiring up-to-date improvements. (105) By 1923 the commission government was functioning well and was effectively maintaining all public facilities. (106)

The council and the Chamber of Commerce cooperated closely in the building of parks and other public facilities. (107) In 1926, building permits increased nine-fold over the number issued in 1923. Municipal wharfs, proposed and debated since 1920, were contracted for, in the amount of $221,762 in September, 1926. (108) One anonymous author, commenting on the civic attitude of Lake Charles, stated:

"‘You can’t keep a good man down,’ or if one might change this old saying a bit, you can’t prevent a city from growing, if the people have faith in it. So, Lake Charles has surmounted difficulties, won battles with crop failures, survived heavy losses in storm and fires, and has come out victorious… As an example of progress, the people of the community point with considerable pride to the association of commerce. The business body owns its two story brick building with adjacent grounds, right in the heart of the city, opposite the post office, and close to the principal business district. The building is really a community center, and it has proven its values on many occasions. Recently the association of commerce put over an expansion campaign, raising $25,000, the banner amount ever secured here, and possibly in any town of equal size in the entire south. Mayor Henry T. Geary is a member of the alert, energetic and efficient board of directors." (109)

The first major street program in the city was initiated in 1924 at a cost of $112,000. During the depression years the city thoroughfares and the repairing of sidewalks were undertaken by the W. P. A. at a cost of $17,000. In 1930 seven sections of streets were paved at a cost of $66,000. Both the 1924 program and the 1930 program were instituted at the request of property owners involved, with the owners themselves paying the cost of improvements. (110) The city council undertook five needed projects, which were completed by 1928. They were construction of a concrete coulee, construction of a municipal baseball, athletic, and recreation center, widening of Bilbo street, resurfacing of Ryan street, and the closing of unpaved gaps between streets. (111)

In comparing the accomplishments of the 1920’s with those of the following decade, John W. Harrop suggests:

"It didn’t take a particularly discerning eye back in the 1920’s to discover that Lake Charles was fast becoming too big for its pants. There was very little concrete paving in the city at that time. Most of the paved streets were paved with brick that had been put down some twenty years before. There was a very simple method of sewerage disposal. The untreated sewerage was allowed to flow directly from the sewers to the lake. The fire department used the same engines and equipment that had been acquired in 1913 when the old horse-drawn streamers were abandoned. The police department was in a decadent state; indeed its existence had long since been forgotten by the persons who should have felt its power. There was no organized health department and system of garbage disposal. There was no system of public transportation, for the electric streetcars that had once clattered about town had been taken out. Such was Lake Charles when the first quarter of the 20^th century came to a close." (112)

In the 1920’s, population increased only 20.7%, rising from 13,088 in 1920 to 15,791 ten years later. (113) By 1930, Lake Charles had changed from a small, insular community to a modern city whose municipal government was, for the first time in its history, meeting the demands placed upon it by its constituents.

CHAPTER VI

SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION

The political development of the city of Lake Charles between 1890 and 1930 seemed to parallel that of the rest of the United States during the period. In local municipal government, the efficiency and performance of the city council was dependent on a limited revenue which fluctuated widely throughout the period. The forms of government adopted during that time reflected the personality and fiscal policies of the council.

During the 1890’s the government of Lake Charles, although guided by relatively competent men, tended to be restricted by dependence on an outdated charter. The period, 1890-1900, was characterized by a trial and error search for a workable form of government suited for the inevitable problems of a rapidly maturing economy. By the 1909 the financial condition of the council indicated that the city needed a more business-like approach to government, and as a result the commission (or "business") from of government was adopted. This type of government functioned satisfactorily as a three-man body, but one observer has noted that when the number of commissioners was increased from three to five in the early 1950’s the council "went to pieces."(1)

A summary of the Lake Charles’s political direction at any time is very difficult and one’s opinion almost invariably contradicts someone else’s; yet there were unmistakable trends. In national politics the Democratic Party has always been strong in Lake Charles, and with the exception of Populist and Socialist minor tendencies, the Democratic Party has remained in command of the voting booth. The relationship of Lake Charles with the national government since 1867 has consisted principally of efforts to attain economic goals. Securing of a deep-water facility had been on issue since the late 1870’s; it finally became a reality not through federal aid but through the unprecedented local efforts of the Lake Charles citizenry in 1926. (2)

Before 1890, Lake Charles was relatively isolated from the state government of Louisiana. Then with the arrival of J. B. Watkins in 1883, the growth of the lumber industry, and the improvements in Calcasieu Pass, Lake Charles became a "city of note" in state politics. (3) As late as the 1920’s the area remained rather "isolated" from the state; former Governor Sam Jones emphasizes that he is the only governor elected from this area. With the exception of William E. Dodd and Lether E. Frazer, officials for the southwest portion of the state remained separate from state politics until the late 1940’s. (4) Lake Charles in state elections has been characterized as a "swing district," inclined to go "with the winner." There has been a greater fluctuation in the political activity in this area than in any other in the state. Sam Jones suggests that Lake Charles has no "definite fixed opinion," but is rather a "freelance" political area. (5)

In the affairs of Calcasieu Parish, Lake Charles and Ward Three have been a dominant political force since 1840. Edna Rock has commented that the cooperation between the parish and city in legal affairs has been congenial and cooperative, but "the leadership and determined policy of the police jury is more or less provided through the leadership of Ward Three." (6) Until recent years, Lake Charles’s influence has determined parish-wide issues, and one observer feels that the situation is reaching the point where Lake Charles by the "sheer force of numbers" is going to outvote the parish. Governor Jones once made a survey based on the "one-vote, one-man" theory and found that a fairer distribution of the police jury membership would be obtained by increasing the number of jurors from the present twenty members, with a majority from Ward Three. Some observers suggest that in the future Lake Charles may adopt a government similar to that of East Baton Rouge parish. As a judge aptly put it, the political situation of the police jury is such that "as Ward Three goes, so goes the parish." (7)

During this period, 1890-1930, Lake Charles was quite limited in its municipal progress because of limitations of available revenue. Another explanation for Lake Charles’s failure to parallel the progress of other similar communities in Louisiana during the period, 1890-1930, was the controversy over municipal ownership of public utilities. Commenting on the mayors from 1925 to 1945, Sam Jones remarked that "they just didn’t have anything to work with." In an earlier letter, Jones pointed to three factors which had caused Lake Charles to lag in public improvements: (1) poor leadership in city government; (2) lack of revenue (Lake Charles was the only large city in Louisiana without city-owned utilities); and (3) opposition of labor to sales tax proposals. (8)

The present mayor, according to many observers, has the funds that most of the previous administrations have lacked. (9) According to the present Director of Finance:

"The attitude of every individual in our present administration, including elected officials, appointed officials and employees seems to be expressed most forcibly in one single word - "Progress." This desire for progress has also caught the enthusiasm and desire of the citizenry, so that giant forward strides, once so seemingly enmeshed in red tape, fear, lackadaisical attitude and the onerous position of City Government, have begun to be taken. Changes which the people can see are beginning to take place; plans, which the people approve, are beginning to be made; leadership, which the people needed so badly, has emerged, so that today the future is bright, and progress, because it has become the by-word of all the people, is now a reality." (10)

In the early 1960’s Lake Charles adopted a mayor-council form of government. Political observers disagree on the various causes of the action; however, there is agreement that the increase in the number on councilmen caused conflicting interests to develop. Without a strong executive to initiate decision-making machinery, neither the commission nor the mayor was able to take action effectively.

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Boyer, George Eugene, "Investigations of Some Shell Mounds in Calcasieu Parish," Louisiana Historical Society Publications, II, pt. 2 (1898), 16-23.

Bone, Fannie Z. Lovell, "Louisiana in the Disputed Election of 1876." Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XV (April, 1932), 549-66.

Booth, A. B., "Louisiana Confederate Military Records," Louisiana Historical Quarterly, IV (July, 1921), 369-418.

Caffery, Lucil Roy, "The Political Career of Senator Donelson Caffery," Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XXVII (July 1944, 783-853.

Chalkley, H. G., "Lake Charles Past and Present," McNeese Review, I (Spring, 1948), 93-99.

Cisco, Rupert, ( ed.), "Lake Charles, Louisiana’s Second Port," Louisiana Police Jury (April 1940), 10-12.

Davis, W. N., "The Yellow Pine Lumber Industry in the South," Review of Reviews, XXIX (1904), 443-50.

Grant, Arthur H., "The Conning-Tower," American City, I (September 1909), 20-22.

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Harrop, John W., Jr., "Lake Charles - A Decade of Progress," Louisiana Municipal Review, IV (September- October, 1941), 140-41.

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Kaufman, E.R., "The Port of Lake Charles," McNeese Review, I (Spring, 1948), 50-59.

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Kemper, I. H., "The Drama of the Commission Plan in Galveston," National Municipal Review, XXVI (1937), 409-12.

King, A. O., "Calcasieu Lawyers of Yesteryear," McNeese Review, III (Spring, 1950), 85-86.

King, C. A., "A Pioneer’s Prediction for Lake Charles, Excerpts from a Letter by C.A. King," McNeese Review, II (Spring, 1947), 8-9.

Knapp, Seaman A., "The History of the Calcasieu Bank," McNeese Review, III (Spring, 1950), 6-10.

Kushner, Maurice, "Lake Charles Port of Progress," Port of Lake Charles Magazine, (November 1959), 8-10.

"Lake Charles Louisiana," Louisiana Municipal Review, IX (July-August, 1946) 121- 22.

Leopold, Robert B., "The Port of Lake Charles," Official Journal of the Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, I (November. 1921), 15-16.

Link, Arthur S., "What Happened to the Progressive Movement in the 1920’s? American Historical Review, LXIV (July 1959) 833-51.

McLure, Mary Lilla, "The Election of 1860 in Louisiana," Louisiana Historical Quarterly, IX (October 1926), 601-702.

McWhiney, Grady, "Louisiana Socialists in the Early Twentieth Century: A Study in Rustic Radicalism," Journal of Southern History, XX (August 1954), 315-336.

Millet, Donald, "The Lumber Industry of ‘Imperial’ Calcasieu: 1865-1900,’’ Louisiana History, VII (Winter, 1966) 51-69.

Munro, W. B. "Commission Government," Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, XIV (1937), 35.

Newell, J. F., "We Choose Lake Charles," McNeese Review, II (Spring, 1949), 21-24.

The Port of Lake Charles, Oil: $5 Million Per Acre, I, Lake Charles: Bayou Publications and Sales, Inc., November – December, 1950.

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Reid, Maude, "Origin of Some Place Names in Southwest Louisiana," McNeese Review, VI (Spring, 1954), 105-20.

Shambaugh, Benjamin F., "Commission Government in Iowa: The Des Moines Plan," The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, XXXVIII (1911), 869-717.

Shutts, Elmer E., "Industrial History of Southwest Louisiana," McNeese Review, VI (Spring, 1954), 93-97.

Snow, Walter B., "The Cost of Inefficiency in Municipal Work," American City, I (October 1909), 77-82.

Turner, George K., "Galveston: A Business Corporation," McClure’s, XXVII (October 1906), 610-20.

Ulmer, Grace, "Economic and Social Development of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, 1840-1912," Louisiana Historical Quarterly, XXXII (July 1949), 519-530.

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Wacker, Charles H., "The Plan of Chicago," American City, I (October 1909), 49-54.

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Chang, Tso-Shuen, History and Analysis of the Commission and City Manager Plans of Municipal Government in the United States, Ioway City: n.d.

Dyer, Joseph Osterman, The Lake Charles Atakapas (Cannibals) Period of 1817 to 1820; Written by Request for the Howard Memorial Library, New Orleans, (Galveston, 1917).

Fortier, Al_ee, (ed.), Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons. 3 vols., n.p., 1914.

Gray, Lewis Cecil, History of Agriculture in the Southern United States to 1860, 2 vols., New York: Peter Smith (Reprinted with the permission of the Carnegie Institute of Washington Publication 430), 1941.

Harris, T.H., The Story of Public Education in Louisiana, New Orleans: Printing Department of Delgado Trades School, 1924.

Hiley, W.E., The Economics of Forestry, Osford: Clarendon Press, 1930.

Link, Arthur, S., American epoch; The History of the United States Since the 1890’s, New York, 1958.

Long, Huey P., Every Man A King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long, intro. By T. Harry Williams, Chicago: Quadrangle Paperbacks, 1964.

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APPENDIX A

To incorporate the town of Lake Charles in the parish of Calcasieu.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, That the inhabitants of the town of Lake Charles, in the Parish of Calcasieu, be and are here by made a body corporate and politic, by the name of the town council of Lake Charles, and as such can sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, shall possess a right to establish a common seal, and the same to annul, alter or change at pleasure.

Section 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the limits of said town of Lake Charles shall be laid out in the following manner, to-wit: Beginning north on the east bank of Lake Charles, ten acres above the residence of Joseph L. Bilbo, thence southwards along the bank of said lake to and including the lands of Michael Pithon; thence eastward on a line parallel with the south line of lands of W. Hutchins, and so as to include the residence of J.V. Moss, to the line which intersects the lands of V. Touchey and W. Hutchins; thence on a parallel line with said intersection line of V. Touchey and W. Hutchins, as far north so as to intersect an east and west line from the place of beginning, and comprising all property therein situated.

Section 3. Be it further enacted, etc., That the municipality of said town of Lake Charles shall consist of a mayor and five aldermen, three of whom, together with said mayor, shall constitute a quorum to transact business. No person shall be eligible to the office of mayor or alderman who does not reside within the limits of said corporation, and is above the age of twenty-one years; and the said mayor and alderman shall be chosen by the qualified voters, as hereinafter provided for in this act; said mayor and aldermen to be elected on the first Monday of June of each and every year, and he members thus elected shall continue in office during the term of one year next ensuing, and until others are elected and qualified in their stead, according to the provisions of this act; and provided that if, from some accident or other cause, and election should not take place on the day fixed by the provisions of this section, then an election shall be held as soon thereafter as possible, the mayor or a majority of the alderman giving ten days notice of said election by advertisement in a newspaper, or by notice in writing, stuck up in three of the most public places in said town of Lake Charles, and shall be deemed sufficient notice of said election.

Section 4. Be it further enacted, etc., That the said mayor and aldermen shall constitute a board for the government of said town, and they shall have and posses the following powers, to- wit:

First. They shall have power to lay a tax upon all taxable property and professions within the limits, not to exceed the amount of the State tax upon the same property.

Second. They shall possess all the powers within the said limits, which have heretofore been exercised by the police jury of said parish of Calcasieu.

Third. They shall have power to prohibit houses of ill-fame and disorderly houses, and to impose a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for each contravention of the act in relation to said disorderly houses, or houses of ill-fame.

Forth. They shall have power to remove all nuisances, tax all plays, shows, billiard tables, coffee-houses, games, hotels, professions or trades, and every other species of property not expressly prohibited by the laws of this State, in such sums as to then may seem just and proper; Provided that said tax shall not exceed one hundred percent.; And provided further, that the police jury of the parish of Calcasieu shall no longer have any jurisdiction within the limits of said town, or impose any tax on persons or property therein, except such jurisdiction as may be necessary to impose such special tax as may be required to make or repair the court house and jail in said parish, for which purpose taxes may be levied on the property within said town or corporation by said police jury, equal and no more than on property in other portions of said parish.

Fifth. They shall have power to appoint a treasurer, secretary and collector, and such other officers as may be necessary for the administration of said town of Lake Charles, and to require such bond and security for the faithful performance of their duties as the mayor and aldermen by their by-laws may prescribe.

Sixth. They shall have power to remove all persons who may be seized with any contagious or infectious disease, and establish a hospital in the neighborhood for their comfort and reception.

Seventh. They shall have the right of purchasing, receiving by donation, construct public works, and holding and conveying any estate, real or personal, for the use and benefit of said town.

Eighth. They shall have power to prescribe fines for all breaches of this act of incorporation or by the by-laws of said town of Lake Charles, not exceed fifty dollars; and the same to sue for and recover for the use of said town or corporation.

Ninth. They shall possess all the powers that are prescribe by law for the government of corporations in general.

Section 5. Be it further enacted, etc., That the mayor shall be ex officio justice of the peace within said limits, and shall be commissioned accordingly; and in case of non-acceptance of said commission, he shall forfeit his office of mayor, and the inhabitants of said town shall proceed to the election of a successor, agreeably to the provision of this act; said mayor shall have power to suppress all riots, routs and unlawful assemblies, affrays and tumults, and all breaches of the peace, and to arrest all offenders in the same way that justices of the peace may and can do.

Section 6. Be it further enacted, etc., That the mayor and aldermen shall immediately after their election take the necessary oath of office to discharge their several duties, as prescribed by this act; and immediately after their causing a correct survey and plan of said town to be made, which shall exhibit the position of the various lots there in and their several contents; the length and width of the streets and their relative courses, and to make such alterations in the present plan of said town, if any there by, as may meet the exigencies of the occasion; Provided, however, That nothing contained in this act shall interfere with he established rights and privileges of individuals.

Section7. Be it further enacted, etc., That any justice of the peace residing in the parish of Calcasieu be, and he is hereby authorized to call the first meeting of the inhabitants of said town of Lake Charles for the purpose of electing a mayor and five aldermen, by publishing in a newspaper printed in said town, or by posting up a notification at three of the most public places in said town, at least fifteen days previous to holding said election, and that every free white male citizen over the age of twenty-one years, who shall have resided six months in said town, shall have the right of voting at said election for mayor and aldermen of said town; Providing, That no person shall be entitled to vote unless he be a citizen of the State.

Section 8. Be it further enacted, etc., That the mayor and aldermen shall have power to make by-laws for the government of said town, and the same to repeal or modify; Provided, Said by-laws are not inconsistent with the laws of Constitution of the State of Louisiana.

Section 9. Be it further enacted, etc., That this act of incorporation shall not in any manner affect the property of David J. Read.

Section 10. Be it further enacted, etc., That this act shall take effect from and after its passage.

(Signed) J. MADISON WELLS, Governor of the State of Louisiana

Proposed Charter of 1889
(Rejected)

From Lake Charles Echo, May 31, 1889
Proclamation.

Pursuant to an ordinance of the Board of Aldermen of the Town of Lake Charles, adopted on May 15, 1889, and duly promulgated, and by virtue of authority vested in me as mayor, I, Alexander L. Reid, Mayor of the Town of Lake Charles, La., do issue this, my Proclamation, and order an election to be held in said Town of Lake Charles on the 24^th Day of June, 1889, from 7 o’clock a.m. until 6 p.m., before commissioners to be appointed by the Mayor, at the Court House, in the Town of Lake Charles, for the purpose of getting the vote of the qualified, electors of said municipality for or against the adoption of the proposed new Charter, which reads as follows, to-wit:

Article 1

The inhabitants of that portion of the Parish of Calcasieu, State of Louisiana, included within the limits and boundaries, to-wit: Starting on lake bank on Township line between Tp. 10 south, R. 9 west and Tp. 10 south, R. 8 west, at southwest corner of Sec. 6, Tp. 10 south, R. 8 west, thence east to corner of southeast corner of SE ¼ of SW ¼ Sec. 4, Tp. 10 south, R. 8 west; thence north to northeast corner of NW ¼ Sec. 28, Tp. 9 south, R. 8 west; thence west to the Calcasieu river; thence down the river bank to Lake Charles; thence down the bank of Lake Charles to point of commencement, are hereby made, constituted and declared a body corporated (?) and political, with perpetual succession, by the name and style of the Town of Lake Charles, and as such can sue and be sued, pled and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and lie defended in any court of law; shall possess the right to have, to hold, to purchase, receive and enjoy any kind of property, and the same to sell, lease, transfer, farm out or dispose of; also to have a common seal, the same to amend , alter, or change at pleasure.

Article II

The municipal government of said Town of Lake Charles shall consist of a Mayor and five Aldermen, three of whom together with the Mayor, or five without the Mayor, shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business. No person shall be eligible for the office of Mayor or Alderman, or hold an office in said town unless he be a qualified elector resident therein. The Mayor and Aldermen shall be elected by the qualified voters of said town at such times and in such manner as shall be hereinafter prescribed.

Article III

An election of Mayor and five Aldermen for said town shall be held on the first Monday in June, 1889, and every two years thereafter by the qualified electors of said town, at the court house in said town, to be previously advertised in the official journal of the town for ten clear days preceding said election, and the poll for holding the same shall be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and shall be presided over by three commissioners of election, who shall be appointed by the Mayor, and should either or any of said Commissioners fail to be present at the designated polling place, or should refuse to act, the Commissioners present shall select from those at hand (qualified electors) others to fill their places. All such Commissioners shall qualify by taking an oath of office before any competent officer, and said election shall be held in accordance with the state laws for the election of a representative to the General Assembly. The returns therefore from shall be held in accordance with the state laws for the election of a representative to the General Assembly and shall be made out in duplicate within twenty-four hours after closing the polls one of which returns shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, and the other, after being transcribed in the minutes book of the corporation, together with the notice of election, shall be filed among he archives of the corporation. In the event of a tie vote at any election, or of the death or resignation of the Mayor or any of the Board of Aldermen elected under this charter, the Board shall order an election as provided in section three, to determine said previous election, or to fill such vacancy; and a plurality of the votes cast at any election shall determine the election of any said officers.

Article IV

The Mayor and Aldermen elected on the first Monday of June, 1889, and every two years thereafter, shall qualify by taking the oath of office in form prescribed for State and Parish officers, and enter upon the performance of their duties as such as soon thereafter as they shall receive their commissions from the Governor of the State and shall continue in their offices until their successors are duly qualified, unless removed by death, resignation, or destitution by due process of law.

Article V

In the event of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen failing to order an election for any of the purposes or at any of the times prescribed herein, the Mayor shall order such election by proclamation, ordering the prescribed notice, advertisement and delay, and in case of his neglect or refusal to order such election, any ten citizens may compel him to perform such duties by mandams before any competent court.

Article VI

There shall be a regular meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen on the first Monday of every month for the transaction of such business as may be brought before them, and they may adjourn from day to day when necessary. Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or any five Aldermen whenever pressing business may require it.

Article VII

No ordinance, law or resolution shall become a law unless adopted by a vote of at least three Aldermen, and approved and signed by the Mayor; and in case of his vetoing same, then it shall not become a law unless voted for by at least three Aldermen.

Article VIII

No ordinance or law shall be adopted by the Board of Aldermen, except by yeas and nays; all officers to be elected by then shall be elected by ballot; a and none shall be declared elected unless he receives the votes of three of the Aldermen, or two Aldermen and the Mayor’s vote in case of a tie.

Article IX

No ordinance adopting a budget of expenses or levying a tax on property, or license tax, shall be passed or enacted except at regular meeting. All property taxes shall be based upon the State assessment made for Calcasieu parish; all taxes and licenses shall be uniform. The tax on property shall not exceed ten mills on the dollar, and the license tax shall in no case exceed such as is levied by the State, and they shall be a first lien and privilege in favor of said town to rank next after that in favor of the State and parish. This lien shall be preserved in favor of the town by such recordation as is provided for State taxes. No ordinance shall be enforced until promulgated by publication in the official journal of the town. No ordinance, law or resolution shall be adopted unless written out in full and read to the Mayor and Aldermen in council. And all the proceedings of the Board shall be kept in a well-bound book, wherein shall be copied all the laws, ordinances, and resolutions and approval or disapproval of accounts, bonds of officers and their quarterly and annual reports, etc. This book shall be open during business hours to the inspection of any citizen of the town.

Article X

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen of Lake Charles shall have full power and authority to make and pass all such laws, ordinances and regulations, not inconsistent with laws of the State of Louisiana, and of the United States, as may be necessary and proper.

1^st. To establish and maintain the peace and good order of the town, and to provide for and preserve its cleanliness, salabrity, and health.

2^nd. To adopt, alter or amend a common seal.

3^rd. To purchase and hold, alienate and convey any estate, real or personal, situated within the corporate limits, to accept any gift, grant or inheritance of property for public uses and charitable purposes.

4^th. To establish quarantine in such manner as may be deemed most effective for the protection of the town against contagious infectious and pestilential diseases and epidemics, and to make such provision for the destitute sick and paupers as may be necessary and consistent with the financial ability of the corporation.

5^th. To levy and collect such annual and special taxes on all the property, moveable and immoveable, real and personal, rights and obligations within the limits of the town not exempt by the laws of the State, as shall be deemed necessary, provided, that annual taxes thus levied shall not exceed ten mills on the dollar of the valuation of the property as assessed by the State assessor for Calcasieu parish, special taxes only to be levied after being voted for by the voters of the town, in accordance with State laws providing for same.

6^th. To impose an annual license tax not to exceed, in any case, that imposed by the State for the same year, on all trades, occupations, professions, business or callings pursued within the limits of the town, such as keepers and owners of stores, shops or stands of all kinds; coffee houses, liquor saloons, beer saloons, beer gardens - saloons of all kinds; restaurants, eating houses, hotels, boarding houses, lodging houses , lunch stands, lunch rooms, ice cream saloons, fruit stands, soda water stands, oyster houses and oyster stands, bath rooms, saddle and harness makers, shops, bakeries, tailors, merchant tailors, barbers, blacksmith shops, jewelers, jewelry stores, merchants, commission merchants, brokers, insurance companies, agents and solicitors banks and bankers, agents, real estate agents, all traders, and negotiators of every kind; peddlers, hucksters, hawkers, merchandise and vegetables (except such agricultural productions as are cultivated and produced by themselves); attorneys-at-law, physicians, druggists, notaries, dentists, and all other professional occupations; public weighers, stock yards, all trades and factories not exempted by the State; sample rooms, warehouses, saw mills, grist mills, sugar mills, ginneries, laundries, livery stables, sale stables; millinery stores and mercantile establishments; public hacks, wagons, drays, carts, trucks, and other vehicles kept for public use or hire; shows, circuses, exhibitions of every kind, public entertainments (except when exclusively for charitable purposes), theaters, minstrel shows and all ancient shows, plays, exhibitions, or enterprises for public amusement admittance to which is charge for, public balls, and every business, pursuit and calling on which State levies a license.

7^th. To survey and lay out streets and public squares, to regulate and make improvements to the streets, squares and other public property and to provide lighting and watering same, issuing of bonds for carrying on such improvements as above mentioned and all other public improvements that the general public interest may demand, and to be issued in amount s as the emergency might require; provided, that said issuing of bonds shall never exceed six percent on the assessed valuation of property in the town; to order and direct the filling, opening, widening, and continuing any of the streets or drains of the town, and if for the above or any other public use or purpose the land of any private individual, firm, company or corporate body is necessary, to purchase same at a reasonable price, or cause same to be expropriated pursuant to the modes and formalities of the laws of the State relating to the expropriation of private property for public purposes; to repair all common drains, public roads, causeways, and bridges; to determine the width, completion and pavement of the streets, to prevent the stopping, obstruction or encroaching upon any street, sidewalk, ditch, levee, public square or road, and to order any object obstructing any such places or preventing or impeding the free use of the same to be removed or sold for whom it may concern, in the manner and after the notices, publications, and advertisements prescribed by ordinance of the Board of Aldermen.

8^th. To determine what animals may run at large within the limits of the town, at what times and on what conditions, and to prohibit others from so doing under such penalties as may be deemed necessary and proper. To impound all animals running at large in the town in violations therefore and to fix penalties, which the owners shall pay before delivery of such impounded animals to them, and if not reclaimed within such time as may be fixed by ordinance, to cause the sale thereof; also to provide for the destruction of such as may be declared vicious and dangerous.

9^th. To abate nuisances; to regulate or suppress houses of ill-fame and public prostitution and assignation houses; to cause all vagrant, idle or disorderly persons, all persons of evil life or ill-fame, and all such as have no visible means of support, to give security for their good behavior for a reasonable time, or in case of their inability or refusal on their part to give such security to cause them to work on the streets of the town until security is given or in default thereof, to be incarcerated for a period not to exceed thirty days under any one commitment.

10^th. To provide for all the erection of a suitable corporation jail or lock-up, and to provide a suitable place for the assembling of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for their deliberations.

11^th. To establish patrols and night watches; to erect street lamps, dig cisterns or wells, lay water pipes, build horse racks, etc., in any part of the town, and to make such provisions against fire, as they may consider proper.

12^th. To adopt ordinances imposing penalties and fines upon all such as shall conduct any business, practice any trade, or calling or opening up and enter into any occupation requiring a corporation license tax under the revenue ordinances of the town duly promulgated, and to provide for the enforcement of said ordinances and the collection of said penalties and fines before any court of competent jurisdiction by appropriate legislation.

13^th. To regulate the government of all wagons, drays, carts, hacks trucks, omnibuses, street cars, and other vehicles for public transportation of passengers or freight or both, kept public hire or run in town for freight or passage money.

14^th. To establish market places, public and private, to rent or lease for periods not to exceed two years, at such times, in such manner and on such terms as they may determine upon; to fix the fees and dues to be paid by all persons exposing meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, or merchandise of any kind therein, or within the limits of the town, and to provide for the efficient government and cleanliness of said market places.

15^th. To regulate the police of theatres, circuses, shows, public entertainment, public balls, public assemblies, public halls, public saloons and exhibition rooms, shooting galleries, ten-pen alleys, taverns, all places where liquors are sold by the glass or drink, and all places of public resort, whenever public interest or public safety may require it.

16^th. To remit penalties and fines imposed by the Mayor, as a judicial officer, on the recommendation of the Mayor himself, and at least five electors of the town, provided that upon all such applications no penalties or sentences of imprisonment or fines shall be reduced or remitted, except by a vote of at least three Aldermen, and the vote shall be taken by ballot.

17^th. To prevent immoderate riding or driving in any street; to compel persons to fasten or secure their horses, oxen, or other animals while standing in any of the streets, lanes, or alleys of the city, and to prevent persons from riding or driving upon or across any sidewalk.

18^th. To regulate the running of railroads, locomotives, engines and cars within the city, and to fix the rate of speed thereof; to provide by ordinance for the lighting of any railroads or part thereof which may be located within the corporate limits of the city, in such mode and manner as the Common Council shall prescribe; and when it shall be deemed necessary and proper by said Common Council to for the lighting of any such railroad, or any part thereof, within the city, said Common Council may pass and adopt an ordinance; and such ordinance may prescribe the mode and manner in which the same shall be done; the number, style, and size of lamp posts, burners, lamps and all other fixtures and apparatus necessary for such lighting; the points of location of such lamp posts, and the time or times for lighting and keeping such lamps or burners lighted; and in case of said lighting shall not be done in conformity with the provisions, directions and specifications of such ordinance, or in case any railroad company fail, neglect, or refuse to light its tracks, or such part thereof as may be designated and within the time limited by such ordinance, the Common Council may proceed immediately to cause such lighting to be done in conformity to the provisions of such Ordinance, the expenses of which shall be proper charge against such company or companies; such charge may be collected by actions or procedure at law or in equity, in the name of said city, and in such proceedings a law, when pleading or required, it shall be sufficient to declare, generally for work an labor done, and materials furnished on the particular railroad, part or parts thereof, and the city shall be entitled to demand, receive and recover in addition to the amount of such charges, interest from the time the same were incurred, and the additional sum of five percent of such amount to defray the expense of collection, and which shall be included in any judgement or decree rendered in such action or proceedings, the Common Council may provide in such ordinance that any officer or employee of such railroad, who shall run, or who shall direct or order the running of any locomotive, engine, or car upon such railroad in violation of the provisions of such ordinance, shall be punished by fine no exceeding thirty dollars, and in default of the payment thereof by imprisonment in the jail of Calcasieu parish no exceeding thirty days.

19^th. To require, by ordinance, any railroad company operating any railroad in or passing through said town to station and keep flagmen at such points and places therein as in the opinion of the Common Council may be necessary for the protection and security of the people of said town, and to prohibit the running of locomotives, engines, and cars past such points until flagmen are stationed thereat, as required by such ordinance; and to punish by fine not exceeding thirty dollars, or in default of the payment thereof, by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days in the jail of Calcasieu parish, of provisions of such ordinance; provided such ordinance shall not go into effect until thirty days after a copy thereof has been served upon the station agent of such company at Lake Charles, or upon conductor in the employ of such railroad company.

Article XI

There shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the approval of the Board of Aldermen, as many constables as the ends of justice may require, with power to suspend any such constable for neglect of duty, incompetence or misconduct, and to report the same at the next regular meeting of the Board for their final action; also a secretary, collector, and treasurer, to be elected by the Board of Aldermen; their salary to be fixed by the Board.

Article XII

The Mayor shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Aldermen, when present; he shall have power to call extra sessions when he shall deem it necessary, and shall call extra session whenever so requested by four aldermen; he shall approve all laws and ordinances and resolutions of the Board, unless he should see proper to veto the same, in which case said laws , ordinances and resolutions will be of no effect unless subsequently adopted by a vote of at least three aldermen in favor thereof; he shall vote only in case of a tie, when he shall have the casting or deciding vote; he shall see that all the laws and ordinances are properly recorded in the minute book of the Board, and duly promulgated and executed; he shall call all special elections, giving ten days notice, as in case of regular elections. In the absence of the Mayor at any regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen shall elect one of their own number a Mayor pro tem, who shall act as presiding officer of the meeting and perform the duties of Mayor in signing documents, promulgating , etc., but be shall sign same as acting Mayor.

The Mayor of the Town of Lake Charles is hereby invested with judicial powers, which, however, shall extend only to the cognizance’s of cases arising under the police ordinances and regulations of the town; he shall try, summarily, all parties brought before him for violations as the as the police regulations, and his authority shall extend to fine and imprisonment, the fine in no case to exceed one hundred dollars, not the imprisonment thirty days, and that he shall keep a complete record of all court proceedings and shall publish same at such times as the council may by ordinance prescribe; provided, that parties sentenced to imprisonment may, if the prefer, serve out their time by working of the streets, ten hours labor to count one day of the term, and such as are fined may be allowed to work it out on the streets at one dollar for ten hours labor. The Mayor may appoint from time to time as many special constables as he may consider necessary to preserve the peace, but no such appointee shall have authority or be allowed pay for more than one day at a time, unless their appointment is ratified and extended by resolution of the Board of Aldermen. The Mayor shall receive for his services, upon his own warrant, such salary as the Board may deem sufficient, payable monthly. The Board of Aldermen said shall receive such per diem as they deem proper, not to exceed two dollars per diem, while attending meetings of the Board.

Article XIII

It shall be the duty of the secretary of the Board of Aldermen to keep a record of their proceedings in a well-bound book, to be known as the Minute Book of the Town of Lake Charles, wherein he shall transcribe at length all ordinances, laws, and resolutions enacted by the Board; their action on all bills, accounts and claims presented against said town, all budgets adopted and appropriations made, and all reports of collector and treasurer, which minutes, when approved by the Board and signed by the Mayor and secretary, shall be authentic. That secretary shall file away among the archives of the town all reports of tax collector and treasurer and all other public documents of said town not required to be deposited in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the parish. Under the direction of the Mayor, he shall cause all ordinances, resolutions and laws to be published in the official journal of the town. His salary shall be fixed by the Board.

Article XIV

The collector shall collect all taxes and licenses which may be due the town, and all debts and claims due from other sources except such as are herein ordered to be collected by the constable, and shall pay over the same at the end of each month to the town treasurer, taking vouchers therefore in receipt book, to be kept by him exclusively for that purpose. To enable him to enforce the collection of taxes he shall annually, at the expense of the town, obtain from the assessor of the parish a certified tax roll, including the listing of all the property situated within the limits of the Town of Lake Charles, as soon as the Parish Board of Reviewers shall have completed their revision of the assessment of the parish, he shall extend thereon the town, taxes due by each person, firm, company, or corporation owning property situated within the corporate limits of the town in the same manner prescribed by the State in reference to State and parish taxes, and for enforcing the collection thereof he shall have the same authority for and power given by the State laws for the collection of State and parish taxes, and shall proceed in the same manner. The town taxes shall become due, and when State taxes become delinquent, the town taxes shall also become delinquent and subject to the same penalties, and it shall at such times become the duty of the tax collector to prepare a town delinquent tax list, and deposit same for filing or recording in such manner as prescribed for delinquent rolls for the parish, and this shall preserve the lien and privilege in favor of the town, for such time and manner as prescribed by State laws for parish taxes. He shall furnish bond with at least two good solvent securities, resident in the town, the amount to be left to the discretion of the Board; which bond, after being transcribed in the minute book of the parish. The salary of the collector shall be fixed by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen at any regular meeting prior to his election, and shall not be increased or diminished during his term of office.

Article XV

It shall be the duty of the town treasurer to receive from the collector, constables and any other sources not within the duties of said two officers, all moneys, notes, checks, and representative of moneys belonging to said town, and shall receipt for same. He shall make all disbursements for the town upon warrants signed by the Mayor, and countersigned by the secretary under authorization of the Board of Aldermen. He shall make a report once every three months, with a statement of receipts and disbursements and balance on hand, and shall make a general statement annually, and at the expiration of his term of office, which shall be published. He shall furnish bond in an amount to be fixed by the Board of Aldermen, with not less than two solvent securities, which bond shall be transcribed in the minute book of the Town of Lake Charles, and then deposited in the recorder’s office for record in the mortgage books of the parish. His salary shall be fixed by the Board of Aldermen prior to his election.

Article XVI

Whenever officers are herein required to furnish bond, it shall be made payable to the Mayor, and the security shall be accepted by the Mayor. No officer required to furnish bond shall enter upon the duties of his office until bond has been furnished and recorded; in case of failure to furnish bond for fifteen days after election, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen may regard the office vacant and proceed to elect others in their stead.

No warrant on the treasurer shall be drawn except against funds actually in his hands not otherwise appropriated.

Article XVII

This charter may be changed, altered or amended by a vote of two-thirds of the qualified electors of the town. When it is desired to amen the Charter, a petition signed by at least half of the qualified voters of the town, attached to a copy of the Charter embodying the proposed amendments, shall be presented to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, who, thereupon, at a regular meeting, shall order an election to be held under the Mayor’s proclamation, after the usual notices and advertisements and delays, and in the manner laid down for the annual election of the Mayor and Aldermen. The Charter, if adopted and amended, shall be promulgated in the manner prescribed for the promulgation of ordinances, and to go into effect immediately after its promulgation, and shall supercede the present Charter of the Town of Lake Charles. At said election all qualified voters in favor of said new charter shall use a printed ticket to read as follows "For the adoption of the proposed new Charter, and repeal of the present charter;" and those who wish to vote against said new charter shall use a printed ticket to read as follows, "Against the adoption of the proposed new Charter and repeal of the present charter," to be voted in a separate box from that of Mayor and Aldermen.

By virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor, I further order an election to be held on the third day of June 1889, for the election of one Mayor and five Aldermen.

(Signed) A. L. Reid
Mayor of Lake Charles

APPENDIX C

Proposed Charter of 1894
Charter Amendment 2
Extract from City Council Proceedings of May 21^st 1894

FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT

All of the inhabitants of the town of Lake Charles, Louisiana, as incorporated by Act No. 79 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, approved March 16^th, 1867, and within the limits as extended by the vote of the people thereafter according to law on the 13^th day of May, 1884, as follows, to wit: "Beginning at a point where the west boundary line of Township (10) Ten, South of range Eight (8) West, strikes the south shore of the Lake (Charles), thence south of the said line to the point of intersection of the south line of Section Six (6), Township Ten (10), South of Range Eight (8) West, to the dividing line between Sections Four (4) and Five (5) in said Township Ten (10), South of Range Eight (8) West; thence north, along said dividing line and continuing the same to the north line of Section Twenty-nine (29) in Township Nine (9), south of Range Eight (8) West; thence west, to the Calcasieu river thence following the east bank of the said river to the Lake (Charles); thence along the North-western shore of said Lake, back the dividing line between Township Nine (9), South of Range Eight (8) West, and Township Nine (9), south of Range Nine (9) West; thence south along said line to the point of commencement." Shall constitute a body politic and Corporate, with perpetual succession, by the name and style of "the City of Lake Charles." and as such, they and their successors shall have, exercise and enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers, privileges, and functions possessed and enjoyed by municipal corporations, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations pertaining to or incumbent on said city as a corporation and may ordain or establish such acts, laws, regulations, and ordinances, not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, as shall be needful for the government, interest, welfare, and for good order of said body politic, and under the same name shall be known in law and be capable of contracting and being contracted with, suing and being sued, and pleading and being impleaded in all courts and places, and in all matters whatever; may take, hold, purchase, lease, grant, donation, or otherwise such real and personal or mixed property or estate, as the purposes of the corporation may require, within or without the limits thereof, and may make have and use a corporate seal and change and renew the same at pleasure; provided, that the limits of said corporation may be hereafter extended by the addition of other territory to the same on complying with the provisions of the constitution and laws of the state, relative thereto.

SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT

OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION

The municipal government of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the administration of its affairs shall be vested in a City Council, composed of the Mayor and two Aldermen from each ward. Half of the number of the full number of Aldermen with the Mayor, or, in the absence of the Mayor, a majority of the Aldermen shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

The other officers of the corporation shall be a secretary, who shall also be treasurer, and a city tax collector, and such other officers or agents as the City Council may from time to time direct, who shall hold their respective offices until the expiration of the term in which they are elected or appointed.

An election shall be held in each Ward of the city on the First Tuesday of the Month of April next after the adoption of these amendments, and bi-annually thereafter, at such polling places as the City Council may direst, for the election of the Mayor, Aldermen, and such other officers whose election is herein provided for.

For the purpose of holding said election, and others that may be ordered, the Mayor shall appoint commissioners of election, by and with the consent of the City Council, and shall give at least ten days previous notice by publication in one or more newspapers of said city, of the day and the hour on which said election is to be held.

At the first election under this amended charter there shall be elected by the qualified voters of the city of Lake Charles, La., a Mayor, who shall hold his office for the term of two years, from the date of his election, and until his successor shall be elected and qualified. At said first election, there shall also be elected a Secretary and Treasurer, and a City Tax Collector, who shall hold office for a term of two years from the date of their election, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. And at the said first election there shall be elected by the qualified voters of each ward, respectively, two (2) Aldermen, one of who shall hold office for two years and the other for four years, from the date of their election; provided, that there shall be one Alderman for the long term and one for the short term elected from each of the wards respectively; and provided further, that at each election thereafter there shall be elected one Alderman from each ward who shall hold his office for four years, and until his successor is duly elected and qualified.

The Aldermen shall receive such salary as the majority of the council may determine, not exceeding the sum of Two dollars ($2.00) each, for each meeting at which their names are recorded upon the meetings as being in attendance.

The returns of all elections shall be sworn to as correct by the commissioners of election and shall be delivered to the City Council for compilation and promulgation. All elective officers shall enter upon the duties of their respective offices immediately after receiving their commissions from the proper state authorities and taking the prescribed oath of office, of which proceeding due record shall be made upon the minutes of the Council.

In case of a tie for Mayor or for any Alderman a new election for said office or offices shall be immediately ordered, of which fifteen days previous notice shall be given in one of the newspapers published in the city. No one shall be eligible for Mayor or Alderman who is not a duly qualified elector and who has not been an actual resident in said city during three consecutive months previous to his election.

Immediately after their qualification, the council shall hold their first meeting at the City Hall, or such other place as may be selected, at which time the Mayor and Aldermen having presented and filed their commissions or certificates of election and oaths of office, as herein provided, shall enter upon the discharge of their duties as specified in the act, and this predecessors shall render to them a final report and turn over them all books, papers, property, moneys, and accounts pertaining to their respective offices, and to the city of Lake Charles, La.

The city council shall at its first meeting after their election and qualification to office, elect a Mayor pro tempore of the council, who shall act as Mayor in case of the absence, refusal or inability of the duly elected Mayor to act; and in case of a vacancy occasioned by his death, resignation or otherwise, act as Mayor for the unexpired term and have the same powers and receive the same fees and compensation of the duly elected Mayor.

Shall a vacancy occur at any time in the offices of any Councilmen by death, resignation or otherwise, more than six months preceding the expiration of his or their term of office, the Council shall at its first meeting at the occurrence of said vacancy, or as soon thereafter as practicable, order an election to fill the same, of which due notice shall be given in one of the newspapers published in the city; ten days prior to said election.

Until otherwise provided by the City Council the city of Lake Charles, La., shall be and is hereby divided into four (4) wards, as follows, to wit:

First Ward: Ward No. 1 shall commence at the center of the main line of the Louisiana Western Railway, and include all of that territory lying north of said Louisiana Western Railway within the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, La.

Second Ward: Ward No. 2 shall embrace all of that territory bounded North by center of main line of the said city of Lake Charles, South by Division Street from the Lake bank to Kirkman street, then south on Kirkman street to the center of Broad street; then East along Broad street to the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, La., and West by Lake Charles.

Third Ward: Ward No. 3 shall be bounded on the North by south line of Ward No. 2, on the East by the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, La., and the South by Clarence street from the Lake to Kirkman street, then south on Kirkman street to Cleveland street, then East on Cleveland street to the east line of Touchy Addition, then north on said line to center of Fourth street, then East on center of Fourth street to the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, La., and on the West by Lake Charles.

Fourth Ward: Ward No. 4 shall be bounded on the North by Lake Charles and Clarence Street, and the remainder of the North boundary is the south boundary of Ward No. 3, on the East by the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, on the South by the corporate limits of the said city, and on the West by the same provided, there shall never be less than four wards.

THIRD PROPOSED AMENDMENT

DUTIES AND POWERS OF OFFICERS

The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the city; he shall affix the seal of the corporation to all of his official acts; he shall countersign all warrants drawn on the treasurer or fiscal agent; he shall see that the laws and ordinances are properly and faithfully executed; he shall have jurisdiction over offences, misdemeanors, and violations of all ordinances adopted by the Council and committed within the city limits of said city, and shall have power to enforce all penalties imposed by said ordinances; he shall be ex-officio justice and conservator of the peace; he shall have general supervision over all matters relating to the discipline and efficiency of the police, the protection of the public and private property, the preservation of the public order and peace and the enforcement of the ordinances relating thereto, the houses of refuse and correction and lighting of the city. He shall from time to time lay before the council a full statement of the affairs of the city. It shall be his duty to report to the council all officers and persons employed by the city who fail to perform their duties or who shall commit any act for which they should be removed from office and may, at his discretion, suspend any sub-officer or employee until the action of said Council, to whom he shall report such suspension at their first meeting thereafter. He shall preside at the meeting of said council; but shall have no vote therein, except when there is a tie, in which case he shall have had the deciding vote; he shall sign and cause to be published all ordinances and all resolutions passed in due form by the council, and such ordinances and resolutions shall thereupon have the full force of law; he shall have general superintendence over the streets, alleys, wharves, landings, and all public places under the police and control of the city. He shall, by and with the consent of the majority of the council, appoint all officers in the employ of the city; he shall receive such salary as may be fixed by the majority of the council, payable monthly on his own warrant and no prerequisites shall be allowed. He shall exercise all of the powers hereto vested in the Mayor of the city of Lake Charles, La., under existing laws not inconsistent or in conflict with this charter, or the laws of the state of Louisiana.

It shall be the duty of the Secretary and Treasurer to attend every meeting of the City Council and keep accurate minutes of the proceedings thereof in a book to be provided for that purpose, and to copy and enroll in a well bound book all ordinances and resolutions of the City Council; to take charge of and keep in order all books, records, papers, documents, and archives of said Council; He shall keep an account of all claims for or against the corporation; he shall issue warrants or checks upon the funds in the treasury, the same to be counter-signed by the mayor under the seal of the corporation for the payment of all claims. All warrants and checks shall be numbered respectively and shall specify the amount, purpose and fund upon which they are drawn except against actual cash in the treasury. He shall at least once a month or oftener if ordered by the council, make a report to the council of all claims and accounts against the city, and a full and correct statement of all his receipts and payments, showing the exact condition of the city treasury since the day of the last report. He shall also execute and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the city council and not assigned to other officers. He shall bond with solvent security to the satisfaction of the city council; he shall receive a salary to be fixed by the council.

It shall be the duty of the City Tax Collector to procure annually from the assessor of the State of La. For Calcasieu Parish, or from the office of the Recorder, duplicate lists of all property within the corporate limits of the city with valuation there of, as made by the State Assessor and approved by the Police Jury; he shall carry out on said rolls for the taxes of the city as levied by ordinance of the council; he shall deposit and cause to be filed one of the said rolls duly certified by himself in the office of the clerk, ex-officio recorder, which when filed in said Recorder’s office shall operate as a lien in favor of the city on all property carried on said roll in the same manner as provided for State and Parish taxes, and shall keep on of same in his own office. He shall collect all said taxes, in the same manner and at the same time which State taxes shall be due and collectable. He shall collect all licenses levied by the city at the same time and in the same manner prescribed by the state for the collection of licenses, and shall have for the enforcement of the collection of said taxes and licenses all of the remedies and rights provided by the State for the collection of State taxes and licenses. He shall make all special assessments levied by he City Council on all or any portion of property within the corporate limits of said city, for special purposes, not inconsistent with the laws of the State of La., and shall collect all levies or assessment made by the council for the building of sidewalks or banquets, the opening, widening, grading, straightening, paving, or repairing the streets, drains, canals, aqueducts, parks, public squares, and other public improvements; in accordance with the powers granted in this charter. He shall keep correct separate accounts of all licenses, taxes, special taxes, and assessments, carry the amounts thereof in separate columns on the city tax rolls. He shall give receipts for all taxes, levies, assessment and licenses, on the blank receipts furnished his by the city, and shall receipt to the Mayor for all such blanks, and be held accountable for same. He shall make a semi-monthly settlement with the City Council, in such manner as they shall by ordinance direct; he shall daily deposit with the fiscal agent of the city, the different amounts collected, specifying each different levy or assessment and take receipts for same which shall be his vouchers; said amounts so deposited to be subject to warrants counter-signed by the Mayor.

The City Council may and shall have power to elect a Street Commissioner, a City Engineer, a City Attorney, and a City Physician, who shall hold their respective offices until the expiration of the term of office of the members of the Council by whom they were elected or appointed, it being the true meaning and intention of this section that each incoming or new council shall have the right of selection of its own officers and employees.

The Street Commissioner before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take the prescribed oath of office and give bond and security, to be approved by the council and payable to the city of Lake Charles, in such sum as the City Council may require. A copy of said bond shall be recorded in the office of he recorder of mortgages, and the inscription shall operate as a judicial mortgage against all the property of the principal for the amount for which he is bound; he shall have, under the direction of the Mayor and Council, general superintendence over all matters relating to the streets, alleys, sidewalks, pavements and wharves, and the reconstructing, cleaning and repairing of bridges and crossings and the drainage of the city; and shall perform such other duties as the City Council may from time to time prescribe.

The City Attorney shall be licensed in law, and shall be the legal adviser of the corporation in all matters in which legal advice may be necessary; he shall represent the corporation in all judicial proceedings and actions to which it an interest may have, and shall in all cases, when required by the City Council, furnish a written opinion of the legality of the constitutionality of the law or ordinance to be submitted to, or pending before the council or as to any question involved in the discharge of the duties of the respective officers of the corporation, provided, that the City Council shall have the authority to employ such additional attorney or attorneys as they may deem necessary in important cases.

The council shall from time to time prescribe the duties of the city physician, and fix his salary.

The city engineer shall keep his office in the city building, and shall draw and submit to the council plans for all improvements of streets, lanes, alleys, and public grounds, and for all other public works of said city, which may be in contemplation, together with the estimated cost thereof. All applications for public improvements shall first be made to said council, and shall then be referred to the city Engineer , who shall report back thereon to said council, adding to such report the plans and estimated cost of such as he may approve, and such other improvements as he may think fit to recommend. He shall receive and present for the approval of said council all proposals for constructor performing public work. He shall examine and consider all plans proposed for any market house, bridge, public building or other public improvements, and report to said council such of said plans as he shall approve together with the estimate of the whole cost thereof, and his opinions and recommendations concerning the same. He shall, under the direction of the council, make all survey of the streets, alleys, and public grounds of the city, and all other surveying and engineering ordered by the city council, and execute profile delineations and draughts of the same. He shall find and mark out the line of all streets, alleys, and public grounds, which are to be improved, and shall ascertain and mark the line of improvement to be made.

On all contracts for public improvements the city Engineer shall every thirty days make estimates of all material furnished or work performed upon which estimates are due under the terms and provisions of the contracts and specifications, and report the same to the City Council with such suggestions and recommendations, if any, as he may deem for the interest of the city.

Said City Engineer shall cause all public surveys, maps, charts, draughts, plans, and other documents, made by him, to be recorded in books which shall be provided at the expense f the city, and which said Engineer shall carefully preserve in his office. Titles to said records to forever remain in the city of Lake Charles, La.

It shall also be the duty of the City Engineer in making surveys for the determinations of all grades, to determine the grade of the streets; it shall also be his duty to survey and determine the grades of any streets whenever so required.

The City Council shall appoint and select one of the banks in Lake Charles, in which all moneys, bonds, notes, and securities belonging to the city shall be deposited, and due account kept thereof, on the most advantageous term and conditions that may be offered by any of said banks. Provided, that if any of said banks will consent to act as such depositary and pay a reasonable rate of interest on the amount of the daily average balances during the fiscal year. The City Council is hereby empowered to appoint one of its citizens as fiscal agent; and provided further, that the city council may withdraw all its deposits and change its fiscal agent whenever in their opinion the public interest may require.

FOURTH PROPOSED AMENDMENT

GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL

The council may ordain and impose such fines for the breach of the by-laws, rules and ordinances of the city, as they shall think proper not exceeding fifty dollars fine and not exceeding thirty days imprisonment, or both, for each offense, at the discretion of the Mayor. Said fine to be recoverable before the Mayor or any court of competent jurisdiction, in the name and for the use of said city, an in default of the payment of any fine imposed, the person in default maybe ordered to work out the same on the streets and alleys of the city or other public works, at the rate of one dollar for each day of labor performed.

The City Council shall have power by ordinance to establish the office of City Recorder, and appoint or provide for the election of a suitable person to fill the same, and when so appointed or elected, such Recorder shall be the chief judicial magistrate of the City, and as such shall hold a court within the city by the name of the Recorder’s Court of the City of Lake Charles, La., which said court shall have jurisdiction and cognizance of all misdemeanors, breaches of the peace, infractions of the ordinances, and all cases arising under the police regulations of the city, with such jurisdiction as said recorder may possess under existing laws and such further jurisdiction as may be granted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana.

The City Council shall, on or before the first day of June, fix the salary and fees of the Mayor and other executive officers, and shall, at the same time, establish the compensation or salary to be paid to the officers appointed by the city council; the compensation or salary so established shall not be changed during the term for which said officers shall be elected or appointed.

The City Council shall have full power and authority to make and pass such by-laws and ordinances as are necessary and proper for the government of the city.

To regulate and make improvements to the streets, alleys, squares, wharves, and other public property, and to provide for the lighting and watering of the same, and to order and direct the ditching, filling, opening, widening, and continuing of any streets or alleys; and if for such purpose, the land of any person, or body corporate is necessary to be had, the said city council shall have the right to purchase the same at reasonable price or cause the same to be expropriated according to the manner and formalities prescribed by existing laws an the subject; to regulate the proportion of and to make and repair all common sewers, drains, canals, public roads, levees, dykes, causeways and bridges, not withstanding any superintendence which might be set up by any corporation or individual over such works. To determine the completion and dimensions of the pavements of the streets, sidewalks and alleys, to fix the squaring, and to prevent any encroachment upon stopping and obstructing the streets, alleys, public squares, levees, public roads, wharves, or any part of the landing or port of Lake Charles, ant to order any object , whatever may be its value, which may encumber said places, or prevent and embarrass the free use of same, to be torn down and removed or sold for whom it may concern, in the same manner and after such notices as shall be required by such regulations.

To provide for cleaning of the banks of the river, lake or other navigable streams within the corporate limits of the city; for the reopening of such natural drains as has been obstructed by the owners of the adjacent property, or opening or filling up of any water course which is not navigable, for the purpose of carrying public highways over the same; provided, no unnecessary injury be occasioned thereby to the neighboring inhabitants.

The City Council shall be vested with full power and authority to grade, gravel, repair, pave or otherwise improve any avenue, street or alley, or any portion thereof, within the limits of said city, whenever petitioned therefore by one half of the resident property, owners of the property abutting or on said street and two thirds of the aldermen present voting therefore; provided, the city council; say one-third, and the owners of the property two-thirds thereof, except at the intersection of streets, from lot to lot across the streets either way, which shall be paid for by the city alone; and said cost shall be assessed on the property fronting on said street so improved, to be collected in equal annual payments, not less than five number and all moneys collected from these assessments shall be appropriated exclusively to the payments of the bonds issued for the payment of the cost of said improvement.

Whenever the city council shall determine to make any such improvement, they shall cause an estimate to be made of the probable cost thereof by the city engineer, or by some other officer of the city, or by a committee of three aldermen; and such engineer or other officer or committee shall also report a full list of all lots or fractional lots, giving number and size of the same, and the number of the block in which situated and the same of the owners by thereof, if known, and such other information as may be required by the city council, and if there be any lot or fractional lot the owner of which is not known, the same shall be entered on said list as unknown; it shall be the duty of said officer or committee to enter on said list, opposite each lot or fractional lot lying and being on each side of the street, avenue, or alley so to be improved one-third of the estimated expense for such work or improvement on such avenue or alley or street, fronting adjoining , or opposite such lot or fractional lot; and on the acceptance and approval of said report and list by the city council, said amount shall be imposed, levied, and assessed as taxes and shall be alien responsible on the property until the payment of same.

In addition to the power and authority granted to the City Council to collect said assessment of taxes as aforesaid, they have the further power and additional remedy of instituting suit in the corporate name in any court having jurisdiction for the recovery against any owner of the property for the amount due for any such work so make as aforesaid; and the City Council shall provide, by resolution or ordinance under the provisions of the title, for carrying out and executing the powers in this charter conferred and may adopt such resolutions and enact such ordinances as they may deem necessary. To provide the means and regulations for preventing and extinguishing conflagrations; to determine in what parts of the city wooden buildings shall not be erected, and prevent person from reconstructing in wood, old and decayed wooden buildings and adjuncts under pretense of repairing the same in those parts of the city where it is lawful to build only in brick, stone or metal. And to provide for the inspection, regulation, and condemnation of any building or buildings which may be dangerous to life and property.

To regulate the police of theatres, public halls, taverns, places for shows or exhibitions, house of public entertainment, shops for retailing liquors, houses of ill fame, and to order the same to be closed whenever the public safety and tranquility shall require it, and impose such regulations and duties upon persons keeping such places as they may deem proper and necessary, and to punish all vagrants.

To regulate the proper government of carts, drays, wagons and other vehicles of very description; freight locomotives, passenger and streetcars which run in the streets and within the limits of the city.

To erect wharves and collect wharf dues and wharfage, to designate the place for anchorage and mooring of steamboats and other watercrafts in the port of Lake Charles, and regulate to and maintain the public peace on same within the limits of the city.

To every year levy an equal tax upon all real and personal property in said city, not to exceed for one year one per centum of the said assessed value thereof, which said tax shall be due and payable, collected and enforced in the same manner and at the same time as State taxes; and on the same day annually thereafter, impose an annual tax or trades, professions, business and callings, said license to expire on the 31^st day of December in the year on which it was obtained, and which license tax shall be due and payable from the first day of January, inclusive; provided, that all persons engaged in business after the first day of July shall pay for the current year only one-half of license, which license tax shall, in no instance, exceed the license imposed by the State for the same time.

The City Council shall once in every twelve months, before fixing and deciding upon the amount of taxes and licenses to be assessed and imposed for the year, cause the be made out a detail estimate exhibiting the various items of liable ties and expenditures including the probable amount of contingent expenses during said year, and shall cause the same to be published at least thirty days in a newspaper published in the city, and such rate of taxation not exceeding one dollar on every hundred of valuation shall, at least thirty days after the first publication thereof be fixed and assessed, so as with other revenues of the city, may be necessary to meet said estimated liabilities and expenditures.

The adoption of said detailed estimate shall be considered as the as the appropriation of the amount therein stated, and no money shall be drawn from the Treasury except in pursuance of such appropriations.

All taxes and licenses imposed by the city of Lake Charles, La., shall be due and eligible at the same time as the state taxes and all the articles and provisions of the state constitution and the laws of the General Assembly passed there under regulating the relating to the collection of star taxes and tax sales shall also supply to and regulate the collection of city taxes.

The city council shall be and are hereby empowered to provide for, regulate, and require the building and repairing of all sidewalks banquettes or curbing upon the streets within the corporate limits as maybe hereafter provided by ordinance.

Whenever the owner of property in front of which a sidewalk, banquette or other walks shall have been ordered to be made, filled up, graded or repaired, shall fail to do so within the time required by the ordinance or resolution of the City Council, the city council shall order the same to be done at the expense of the owner or owners of said property, and the city shall have a special lien and privilege on said property to secure the payments so due, which shall entitle the corporation to be paid in preference over any other claim, mortgage, or encumbrance upon said property, recoverable before any court of competent jurisdiction. That all streets, except such parts as may be required to be kept up by guarantee or franchise, shall be kept in repair by the city, and all sidewalks or banquettes shall be kept by the owners of the real property fronting thereon.

The city council shall have power and authority to grant franchises over all streets of said city for the purpose of operating railway or street car lines, whether by steam, electricity or other power; to operate telegraph, telephone or electric light systems; to establish and maintain public markets, public ferries and public wharves, and to provide for and establish and maintain water works, or to establish and maintain any of the same on their account; but any of the aforesaid franchises granted to persons or corporations shall be subject to such proper restrictions and regulations then or there after to be made as shall be preservative of public and private rights, and said franchise shall not be granted except for public benefit and upon due compensation made to the city by the grantee or grantees nor for a longer period than twenty-five; provided, that whenever any franchise shall be granted over the streets of Lake Charles for the operation of any railway or street car system that said grantees shall not improperly impede, endanger or retard public travel, and shall a their own expense keep the proper level and grade established on said streets, and build, maintain and repair five feet on each side from the center and with the same character and quality of pavement used on said street; provided that no franchise for the construction or operation of a street railroad or any other railroad shall be granted except upon the that the condition that the consent of a majority of the owners in value of the property bounded on that portion of he street upon which it is proposed to construct and operate such street railroad or any other railroad, be first obtained. And further provided that all individuals, companies or corporations to whom any of the afore said franchises may be granted shall furnish a good and sufficient bond in favor of said city against any and all damages, cost, expenses of any kind whatsoever arising out of the claims by any person or persons by reason of the carelessness or improper use, misuse or nonuse of said franchises, by the guarantees thereof.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

No officer or agent of the city shall be either directly or indirectly interested in any work, business or contract which is paid or to be paid by the city, or by assessment levied by the Council, or in the purchase or lease of any real estate or other property belonging to the corporation, or be the surety of any person having the work, contract, or business within he city, under the pain of nullity of contract and dismissal from office, and shall in addition be liable to exemplary damages, recoverable before any court of competent jurisdiction.

The city council may suspend or remove by a vote of the majority of members, any officer for in competency, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or when the services of such officer are no longer required or necessary to the public interest. The city council shall have power to organize, appoint uniform and commission a police force, and to appoint as many officers as may be necessary to fix the salaries and compensation of all officers and other employees appointed by them, under the restrictions contained in this act.

The City Council shall hold regular meetings on stated days of every month; their proceedings shall be duly recorded and all resolutions and ordinances shall be published and promulgated in a newspaper published in the city.

The city council shall further, at least ten days before the expiration of each fiscal year cause to be published in a city newspaper, a correct and full statement of the receipts and expenditures from the date of the last annual report, the funds where derived, and showing for what purpose disbursed, the condition of the treasury together with such information as may be necessary and a full statement of the financial condition of the city.

No ordinances levying a tax, making an appropriation over five hundred dollars, or providing for the price or purchase or sale of real estate, shall be passed except by a majority of the entire council, nor shall a final vote on the same be taken except at a regular meeting, subsequent to a previous regular meeting at the same shall have been introduced and passed to its second reading; and the said ordinance together with the vote on the same, and the names of the members voting yea or nay, shall be published in a newspaper of the city, except in case of invasion, insurrection, pestilence or inundation.

All contracts for public works or materials, or supplies ordered by the city council, when the same exceeds one hundred dollars, shall be offered at public auction, and given to the lowest bidder who can furnish security satisfactory to the Council, or the same shall be given for advertisement for sealed proposals in writing, to be opened by the Mayor in the presence of the Council, and the Contract shall be given to the person making the lowest proposal therefore, provided that should there be only one bid made, the same may be accepted if endorsed by the city engineer and a majority of the Council, as reasonable and fair for the work advertised; provided further, that the City Council shall have the right to refuse, reject, and qualify any and all bids or proposals.

The right, title and interest of the town of Lake Charles to all lands, tenements, hereditaments, bridges, ferries, streets, alleys, drains, markets, wharves, levees, stalls, landing places, buildings and other property of whatever description, and wherever situated, and with all goods, chattels, moneys effects, debts, dues, demands, bonds, accounts and vouchers, to be and the same are hereby vested in the city of Lake Charles as incorporated in this charter; provided, that all the estates, incomes, funds or property of any description now held in trust by the city of Lake Charles, La., as constituted and incorporated under this charter, upon and for the dame uses, trusts, limits, limitations, charities, and conditions as the same are now held, and all valid indebtedness or liabilities of the town of Lake Charles shall be assumed and paid by the city as constituted and incorporated under this charter and said city is declared liable therefore, and upon the organization of the council as provided for in this charter. All powers, rights, immunities and privileges possessed and enjoyed by the Town Council of the City of Lake Charles, La., as at present constituted, shall cease and terminate and be vested in the city of Lake Charles, La.

SIXTH PROPOSED AMENDMENT

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT AND WORKS

For the purpose of enabling the city to purchase, contract, and pay for improvement of a general nature not herein provided for, and for purpose of erecting and constructing public buildings, bridges, causeways, drainage canals, wharves, quays, dikes, waterworks, electric lights, power and plants, steam or electric trams or railroads, public baths, telephone, and in general any work of public utility, the city council, may in the name of the city of Lake Charles, and for its advantage and benefit borrow money for said purposes; and in order to provide for and secure the payment of any indebtedness thus created, they may issue interest bearing bonds of the city and increase the rates of taxation within the limits and in the manner provided for by Article 209 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana; provided, that no money shall be borrowed, bonds issued, or rate of taxation increased, unless the purpose or purposes for which the issuance of said bonds and the amount thereof shall have been submitted to a vote of the property taxpayers and majority of the property tax payers voting at such election shall have voted therefore. Whenever bonds are issued as herein provided for, such bonds shall be made payable in not less than five nor more than twenty years from the date of the issue, with interest coupons attached, at a rate of not more than five percent, per annum, payable annually or semi-annually; provided further, that the aggregate amount of outstanding bonds issue and existing under this title shall never exceed ten per centum of the assessed value of the real and personal property of the city. The special tax assessed for the payment of such bond shall be devoted and applied exclusively to their payment but whenever there shall be a surplus of the general fund at the expiration of any fiscal year such surplus of the general fund at the discretion of the council may be applied in payment of interest and principle of these bonds.

APPENDIX D

Proposed Charter of 1899
Lake Charles Daily Press, December 10, 1899

To amend the charter of incorporation of the town of Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana; to extend and define the corporate limits of said municipality; to change its corporate name to that of the City of Lake Charles; to authorize the municipal erection, purchase , lease, acquisition and control, or (of) water works, electric light plants, and other works of public improvement, upon compliance with the requirements of the State Constitution and the laws enacted in pursuance thereof; and to provide for the better police, administration and government of said municipality

Be it ordained by the town council of the town of Lake Charles, that the charter of incorporation of the town of Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, contained in Act No. 79 of the Acts of the Legislature of the State of Louisiana, adopted at the session of 1867, approved March 16, 1867, be and the same is hereby amended, so as to read as follows, to wit:

Sectin1. The inhabitants of the city of Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu, within the limits and boundary hereinafter specified, are hereby made a body corporate and politic, in fact, and in law, by the mane and style of the City of Lake Charles, and by the same name shall have perpetual succession, and shall be capable of suing and being sued, defending and being defended, impleading and being impleaded, acquiring by any title or means of conveyance, or by donation intervivos or mortis causa, receiving, holding farming, leasing, buying, selling and improving all kinds of property, weather real, personal or mixed, within or without the corporate limits of the city, for all municipal purposes, and for parks, cemeteries, hospitals, school houses, houses of detention and of correction, waterworks, electric light plants and sewers, and may adopt and use a common seal, and the same may annul, alter, or change at pleasure, The said corporation shall have power to make all contracts and to do all other acts in relation to the property and concerns of the municipality necessary or proper for the exercise of its corporate and administrative powers and functions, and to exercise such other and further powers as are herein conferred. The powers herein granted shall be exercised by a city council, composed of a mayor and board of aldermen, and said city council shall have the care, management and control of the city, its property, finances, and affairs, and shall have power to enact ordinances for the purposes hereinafter named, and such others as are not repugnant to the Constitution or laws of the State, and such ordinances may amend, modify or repeal.

City Boundary and Limits

Section 2. The corporate limits of the City of Lake Charles shall embrace, and its corporate powers shall be exercised over, the territory included within the following described limits and boundary thereof, to wit:

Beginning on the range line at a point being the corner common to the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 33, the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 33, township 9 south, range 8 west, the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 4, and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 4, township 10 south, range 8 west; thence north, on this subdivision line, through sections 33 and 28, township 9 south, range 8 west, to the north line of section 28; thence west on this section line to the center of the Calcasieu River; thence south and west down the center of said river to a point where the center line of said river intersects the range line between ranges 8 and 9 west; thence to and across the lake (Lake Charles), and to the corner common to sections 6 and 7, township 10 south, range 8 west, and sections 1 and 12, township 10 south, range 9 west; thence east on section line between sections 6 and 7, 5 and 8, 4 and 9 to a point being the corner common the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 4, the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 4, the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 9, and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 9, township 10 south, range 8 west; thence north on this subdivision line to said point of beginning.

The corporate limits of said town of Lake Charles, as incorporated as aforesaid by said Act No. 79 of the Louisiana State Legislature, approved March 16, 1867, being defined in said legislative act of said incorporation as embracing the territory included within the following described limits and boundary, to wit: "Beginning north an the east bank of Lake Charles, ten across above the residence of Joseph L Bilbo, thence southward along the bank of said lake to and including the lands of Michael Pithon; thence eastward on a line parallel with the south line of lands of W. Hutchins, and so as to include the residence of J. V. Moss, to the line which intersects the lands of V. Touchey and W. Hutchins; thence on a parallel line with said intersection line V. Touchey and W. Hutchins as far north so as to intersect an east and west line from the place of beginning and comprising all property therein situated," the additional territory thereto hereby annexed is hereby declared and defined to be all that territory lying and situated between the limits and boundary of the City of Lake Charles hereinbefore first described and the said original limits and boundary of said town of Lake Charles described in said legislative act No. 79 of the year 1867 as aforesaid; and the entire boundary of said municipality, as changed by the addition of annexed territory thereto, is herby declared and defined to be the boundary of the City of Lake Charles hereinbefore first described.

Section 3. In accordance with the provisions of Act No. 101 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana approved July 9, 1896, the territory annexed, as described in the foregoing section 2, and the inhabitants thereof, shall enjoy as to themselves and their property therein, all the rights, privileges and immunities granted and enjoyed under the said original legislative charter of incorporation of the town of Lake Charles, approved March 16, 1867, by the inhabitants and their property in the territory therein defined, in the same manner and in every particular as though the territory annexed and incorporated in accordance with said section 2, had formed part and parcel of the said original incorporation of 1867.

Municipal Officers, their election, etc.

Section 4. The officers of the municipality shall be a mayor, nine aldermen, a marshal, a tax collector, a treasurer, a city attorney, a city physician, a city engineer, and a street commissioner. The mayor, the aldermen and the marshal shall be elected by the people every two years on the first Tuesday following the third Monday of April; and the other officers shall be elected by the city council. Two aldermen shall be elected by each ward in the city, and the mayor, marshal and one alderman shall be elected at large. The officers elected shall qualify and enter upon the discharge of their duties on the first Tuesday of May after their election, and shall hold their officers for two years, and until their successors are duly elected and qualified; provided that the first election under the provisions of this ordinance shall be held on the first Monday of June, 1899, and the officers then elected shall qualify and enter upon the discharge of their duties on the third Tuesday of June, 1899.

If from some accident or to some other cause, an election should not take place on the day fixed by this ordinance, then an election ordered by the city council shall be held as soon thereafter as possible, the mayor or a majority of the aldermen giving ten days notice of said election by advertisement in the official journal of the city, or by written or printed notice in three of the most public places in said City of Lake Charles, and the same shall be deemed sufficient notice of said election.

Should a vacancy occur at any time in the office of mayor or aldermen, or should a mayor or alderman elected fail to qualify, the governor shall appoint some suitable person to the office, who shall hold the same until the next general municipal election, and the qualification of his successor thereafter.

The City Council. Its Powers and Duties.

Section 5. The said mayor and aldermen shall constitute the city council, a board for the government of said city, and it shall have and possess all the powers within the city corporate limits which at any time heretofore have been exercised by the police jury of the parish of Calcasieu; and it shall also have and possess the following powers, to wit:

First. To levy and collect property taxes upon all taxable property, and to levy and collect license taxes upon all persons, associations of persons, firms, companies and corporations, pursuing any business, occupation, profession, trade or calling, within the city corporate limits.

Second. To regulate and to prohibit houses of ill-fame and disorderly houses, under a penalty for each offense of a fine not to exceed $100, or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both, as shall be provided by ordinance.

Third. To levy and collect taxes upon all the real, mixed and personal property within the corporate limits, taxable according to the laws of the state, the valuation of such property to be taken from the assessment rolls of the parish, for general revenue purposes not to exceed ten mills on the dollar; and special taxes for giving additional support to public schools, and of the purpose of erecting and constructing public buildings, public school buildings, bridges, wharves, levees, sewerage work and other works of public improvement, the title to which shall be in the public, in the manner provided by Article 232 of the Constitution of the this State; and in aid of public improvement or railway enterprises not to exceed five mills in any one year for a period of not longer than ten years, in he manner provided by Article 270 of the State Constitution. To levy and collect taxes annually, not to exceed five mills on the dollar and for a period not to exceed forty years, on all the taxable property within the municipal limits in addition to other taxes, in a sufficient amount for the purpose of paying the interest coupons as they become due, on all bonds of the municipality now issued or hereafter to be issued under Article 281 of the State Constitution, and the bonds themselves, which bonds shall be payable only in cash or in matured coupons or bonds: Provided, that the police jury of the parish of Calcasieu shall no longer have any jurisdiction within the limits of said city, nor impose any tax on persons or property therein, except such jurisdiction as may be necessary to impose such special tax as may be required to construct or repair the court house and jail in said parish; for which purposes taxes maybe levied by said police jury on the property within which city equal to and no more than on property in other portions of said parish.

Forth. To make regulations to secure the general health of the municipality; the prevent, to remove and abate nuisances; to regulate and prohibit the construction of privy vaults and cess pools, and to regulate and suppress those already constructed; to compel and regulate the connection of all property with sewers and drains; to suppress hot-pens, slaughterhouses and stockyards, and to locate the same with the concurrent approval of the City Board of Health, and to regulate the same and prescribe and enforce regulations for keeping the same in order, and the yards, private ways, outhouses and other places where offensive matter is kept or permitted to accumulate, and to provide the disposition of garbage and filth, and to a compel and regulate the removal thereof beyond the corporate limits.

Fifth. To compel owners of property adjacent to walks and ways, where dangerous, to erect and maintain railings, safeguards and barriers along the same, except when made dangerous by municipal authority.

Sixth. To regulate parks, public grounds, depots, depot grounds, and places of storage of freight and goods within the corporate limits, and to provide for and regulate the construction and passage of railroads and street railways through the streets, avenues, alleys, lanes and public grounds of the municipality; but no person, persons, company or corporation to whom the right and privilege shall a any time be granted by the authorities of the city, to construct railroads and street railways through the municipality, shall have the exclusive right and privilege to do so.

Seventh. To grant the right for the erection of telegraph, electric light and telephone poles, posts and wires along and upon any of the streets, alleys and way of the municipality, and to change, modify and regulate the same, and to compel the laying of all such wires underground, but no such right or privilege so granted shall be exclusive.

Eighth. To grant to any person or corporation the use of the streets, alleys and public grounds for the purpose of laying gas, water, sewer and steam pipes, and conduits for electric light, to be used in furnishing or supplying the municipality and inhabitants or any person or corporation with gas, water, sewerage, steam or hot air for heating purposes, or light; but no franchise, right of way, grant or privilege of any character whatsoever, shall be granted for a period longer than twenty years, not shall be exclusive.

Ninth. To provide for the inspection and condemnation of coal oil, gasoline, naphtha and all other inflammable and combustible oils, fluids or gases used for heating or lighting purposes, when the same shall not be of the quality and standard purposes, when the same shall not be of the quality and standard prescribed by ordinance.

Tenth. To establish, maintain and provide for, the government and regulation of markets, market houses and meat shops, and to levy thereon license taxes and to collect the same; and when the municipality owns a market house or houses, to fix the rental value thereof and of stalls and booths therein.

Eleventh. To appoint a competent person, clothed with police powers, to act under the supervision of the city board of health as inspector of all stock to be slaughtered within and without the city for sale within the city corporate limits; to examine, under rules and regulations of said board of health, all animals intended to be slaughtered for sale within the city corporate limits in order to ascertain whether they are sound and fit for human food; to examine all fresh beef, veal, mutton and pork, offered for sale within the city corporate limits, whether in public or private markets or on the streets; to authorize the issuance by such inspector of certificates of such inspection; to fix reasonable inspection fees for such inspection, to be paid by the person owning, or offering for sale, the stock or meat so inspected, to prohibit by ordinance the sale of diseased, decayed or otherwise unwholesome articles of human food, and to provide adequate nourishment by fine or imprisonment, or both, for the violation of such ordinances.

Twelfth. To establish, alter and change the channel of streams and water courses and to bridge the same whenever to do so will promote the health, comfort, and convenience of the inhabitants of the municipality.

Thirteenth. To provide and require that any person desiring to subdivide a tract of land within the corporate limits, or to be included therein, shall submit a plan and map of such subdivision to the city council, to be approved by it before the same shall be filed for record in the public records of the parish; and such person shall leave at least one duplicate copy of such plan and map with the city council, to be deposited in the archives of the city.

Fourteenth. To make all needful police regulations for the preservation of good order and the peace of the municipality; and to prevent injury to, destruction of or interference with, public and private property.

Fifteenth. To provide for the election of such municipal officers, other than those herein before named, as may be found necessary; to prescribe the duties and to fix the compensation of all municipal officers and employees, except as hereinafter provided; to require from them bonds with sureties for the performance of their duties, and to provide for the removal of officers and discharge of employees for misconduct or neglect of duty.

Sixteenth. To appropriate money and provide for the current expenses of the municipality for the current year; but no indebtedness shall be incurred without fully providing in the ordinance creating the debt, the means of paying the principal and interest of the debt so contracted; not shall a warrant be drawn on the treasurer, in payment of any indebtedness to exceed the amount of funds on hand in the treasury at the time. To meet current expenses, the mayor, when so authorized by the city council, may borrow money, but in so doing, the debt incurred, added to the debt of the current year, shall not exceed the sum which the levy of tax for the current year may raise.

Seventeenth. To elect one of the aldermen to be the mayor PRO TEMPORE, who shall preside at all meetings of the city council and perform all the duties of mayor in the absence of disability of the mayor, in the absence of both the mayor and the mayor PRO TEMPORE to select another alderman to preside temporarily, and to perform said duties; and the mayor PRO TEMPORE when occupying the place of the mayor shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the mayor.

Eighteenth. To cause sidewalks to be constructed and maintained, to determine the material, plans, specifications and grades of the same, and to levy and collect taxes by special assessment, to pay for such work and material.

Nineteenth. To exercise the right of eminent domain in the laying out of streets, avenues, alleys, squares, and parks, and in straightening or widening the streets, or changing the grade thereof, and in the construction and repairing of sidewalks, sewers and other needed repairs and improvements; and for the purpose of perfecting its drainage system may exercise such right without as well as within the corporate limits of the city.

Twentieth. To exercise full jurisdiction in the matter of streets, sidewalks, sewers, alleys, squares and parks, to open, lay out, constrict, repair, maintain, pave, sprinkle, adorn and light the same.

Twenty-first. To erect, purchase, maintain and operate, waterworks, electric light and telephone plants, and to regulate the same; to prescribe the rates at which water, electric light and telephone service shall be supplied; to acquire by purchase, donation, bequest, lease or condemnation, in the name of the municipality, suitable grounds within or without the corporate limits, upon which to erect waterworks, electric light and telephone plants, and also the right of way for laying water pipes, and for the erection of electric light and telephone poles and supports from such works and plants to the municipality; to extend such right of way from time to time; and to contract with any person, persons or corporation for the erection and maintenance of such works and plants for term not exceeding twenty rears, fixing rates in the contract subject of municipal regulations; but a contract for the erection, purchase or maintenance of such works and plants shall not be entered into until submitted to a vote of the qualified electors, and approved by a majority of such electors voting at such election.

Twenty-second. To regulate and to impose a privilege tax on, or to suppress, all shows, exhibitions or parades whatsoever, whether the same are for profit, public instruction, entertainment, advertisements or charity.

Twenty-third. To regulate tippling ships, saloons, dram shops, and club rooms; keno rooms, desecration of the Sabbath day, and all kinds of indecency and other disorderly practices, and destruction of the peace and to provide for the punishment of the persons engaged therein.

Twenty-fourth. To adopt and enforce regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of contagious or infectious diseases; to enact quarantine ordinances not contrary to the general laws of the State and the United States on the subject, and to enforce the same within the corporate limits, and within five miles thereof; to establish pest houses within or without the corporate limits, and to provide for the support and government of the same.

Twenty-fifth. To erect, purchase, lease or rent a city hall, public school houses, engine houses and other necessary municipal buildings.

Twenty-sixth. To construct all needful improvements in the harbor; to construct, repair and regulate wharves and docks; to charge and collect wharfage for the use thereof; to set aside lease portions of any wharf for special purposes; but a permit to use any portion of a wharf or a lease thereof, shall not be granted for a term exceeding one year unless by written renewal of such permit or lease for a similar period of time.

Twenty-seventh. To contract with the Police Jury for the use of the parish jail by the municipality; to provide for the working on the streets by prisoners of the municipality, and to contract with the parish for such work by parish by parish prisoners, and for the working of parish roads by prisoners of the municipality.

Twenty-eighth. To fix the rate of carriage of persons, and the rate of drayage, cartage, and transportation of property, other than by railroads operated by steam, within the limits of the municipality.

Twenty-ninth. To erect, establish, maintain and regulate hospitals, work houses, and houses of correction within the corporate limits of the city and within three miles thereof, and to provide for the government and support of the same.

Thirtieth. To establish, regulate and support a police force for day and night service, and to define the duties thereof.

Thirty-first. To provide for the lighting of streets, squares, alleys, parks and public grounds.

Thirty-second. To establish and maintain one or more libraries for public use, and to regulate the use thereof.

Thirty-third. To regulate the entrances to and egress from theatres, opera houses, churches, and all halls and buildings used for public assemblage.

Thirty-fourth. To provide for the prevention and extinguishment of fires, and to organize, establish and maintain a fire department and to regulate the same; to establish fire limits; to regulate, restrain and prohibit the erection of wooden buildings within such limits as may be prescribed by ordinance, and to provide for the removal of the same at the expense of the owner thereof when erected contrary to any municipal ordinance; to regulate and prevent the storing of green hides, and the carrying on of manufactures which may be dangerous or cause or produce fires, or which may be injurious to health or obnoxious or offensive to the inhabitants; to appoint afire marshal, who may be the mayor of city, or city marshal, with power to remove and keep away from the vicinity of any fire all idle and suspicious persons lurking near the same; to compel and person or persons present to aid in the extinguishment of such fire, the preservation of property exposed to danger of the same, and in preventing goods from being purloined thereat, and with such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by ordinance.

Thirty-fifth. To regulate the storage of powder, pitch, turpentine, of rosin, hemp, hay, cotton and all other combustible and inflammable materials and the storing of lumber in yards or lots within the fire limits, as may be prescribed by ordinance, and the use of lights in stables, shops and other places; to remove or prevent the construction of any fireplace, chimney, stove, over, boiler, kettle or any apparatus used in any house, building, factory, or business which maybe dangerous, or cause or produce fires; to direct the safe construction of deposits for ashes; to enter into and examine all dwelling houses, lots, yards, enclosures and buildings of every description, and other places, in order to ascertain whether any of them are in a dangerous condition; to take down and remove buildings, walls, and superstructures that are insecure or dangerous, and to require owners of insecure or dangerous buildings, walls and other structures to remove or render the same secure and safe, at the cost of the owner of such property.

Thirty-sixth. To regulate and prescribe the manner of construction and order of the building of party, parapet and fire walls and party fences; and to regulate and prescribe the construction and building of chimneys, smokestacks and smoke and hot air flues.

Thirty-seventh. To cause to be worked and kept in repair highways and turnpikes leading into the municipality, for a distance not exceeding three miles from the corporate limits; but this shall be done only upon a majority vote of the qualified electors of the municipality authorizing the same provided that nothing done hereunder shall relieve parochial road hands and road overseers from any duty with respect to the highways and turnpikes so worked.

Thirty-eighth. To designate and authorize the proper officer to grant and issue licenses, and to direct the issuance hereof, upon payment therefore. The city council shall regulate all license taxes by ordinance. No license shall be issued for a longer period than one year.

All licenses shall expire on the thirty-first day of December of the year in which they were issued, and shall be due and payable on the first day of January, and shall become delinquent on the tenth day of January of each year; provided that all persons engaging in business after the first day of July shall pay for the remainder of the current year only one-half of the amount of the annual license. No license or property tax shall be imposed or levied under the provisions of this ordinance during the year 1899, upon property or persons not embraced or included within the limits of Lake Charles as defined by its charter of incorporation of 1867.

Thirty-ninth. To provide precautions and prescribe rules regulating the crossings of railroads and street railway tracks; to regulate the running of street cars, railway cars and engines, whether operated by animal, steam, electricity, or other motive power; to govern the speed thereof within the limits of the city; to prevent the obstruction, by cars or locomotives, of streets and crossings; to make any other further provisions, rules and regulations necessary to prevent accidents and delays at crossings, and on the tracks of railroads and street cars; to prevent fires from engines; and to require railroad companies to erect viaducts over or gates across their tracks at the crossings of streets.

Fortieth. To regulate and prevent the running at large of animals of all kinds within the city corporate limits; to cause such as may be running at large to be impounded and sold to pay and discharge the costs and penalties provided for the violation of such regulations, and the expense of impounding, keeping and selling the same; to regulate and provide for the taxing of owners and harborers of dogs, and to destroy dogs running at large; to provide for the erection of needful pens, pounds and buildings for the use of the city, within or without the city limits, for the temporary confinement of such animals; to appoint and confirm keepers thereof, and to establish and enforce rules governing the same.

Forty-first. To institute and prosecute to judgement condemnation proceedings for the establishment of public landings and free wharves on navigable streams and lakes, within the city limits or within five miles thereof; but this shall be done only when authorized by a majority of the qualified electors of the municipality at an election to be held for that purpose.

Forty-second. To establish, charter and license public ferries and toll bridges within, and adjacent to the city corporate limits, to fix the rates of ferriage and toll to be charged thereon, and to regulate generally the police thereof. All such ferries shall be leased at public auction, for not more than five years at any one time, to the highest responsible bidder, by the mayor at the courthouse; in the city of Lake Charles, after thirty days’ advertisement of such lease thereof, in a newspaper published in said city ; and the lessees of such ferries shall annually give bond with security, payable to and to be approved by the mayor of the city, in such sum as may be required by municipal ordinance, for the faithful performance of their duties as public ferrymen.

On streams and other waters dividing the city of Lake Charles from other portions of the parish of Calcasieu, to and in which such ferry boats ply, and the city and the said parish shall have concurrent jurisdiction over such ferries; and complaints for neglect or infraction of a ferry charter shall be cognizable by the courts or either of said city or of said parish, having competent jurisdiction in the premises.

The free right of passage or conveyance over all public ferries, bridges and roads, for which license shall be paid or toll exacted, is hereby granted to all children on foot while attending any public school in the city of Lake Charles; and no fees or tolls shall be demanded nor exacted by the keepers or attendants of such ferries, bridges or roads, from such children, going to or returning from such schools, between the hours of six o’clock a.m. and six o’clock p.m.

Nothing herein before contained, relative to ferries and toll bridges, shall apply to any already chartered ferry or toll bridge until the expiration of its charter.

Forty-third. To pass all ordinances, and to enforce the same by fine for each violation of any ordinance, not to exceed one hundred dollars, or imprisonment not to exceed thirty days, or both.

Forty-fourth. The city council shall possess all the powers prescribed by law for the government of municipal corporations in general.

City Wards. Their Limits and Boundaries

Section 6. Until otherwise provided by the city council, the City of Lake Charles, La., shall be and is hereby divided into four wards, as follows, to wit:

First ward. Ward No.1 shall include all that territory north of the center of the Louisiana Western Railway within the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles.

Second ward. Ward No.2 shall embrace all of that territory within the corporate limits of the city extending from the south line of ward one to a line from the south line of ward one to a line running through the center of Division street and extending from western limits of the city to Kirkman street, thence north to intersection of North Division street, thence east to eastern limits of the city.

Ward third. Ward No. 3 shall be bounded on the north by the south line of ward number two, and on the south by a line commencing on the eastern corporate limits of the city, at the center of Fourth street; thence west along the center of Fourth street, and the center of blocks 5, 12, and 19 of the Touchy subdivision, to Clarence street; thence west along the center of Clarence street to the eastern margin of the lake called Lake Charles; thence west to the western corporate limits of the city.

Fourth ward. Ward No. 4 shall embrace all of that territory within the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, south of the south boundary line of ward number three.

The boundaries of wards may be changed by ordinance when passed by a vote of at least two-thirds of the aldermen elected, but no change in the boundaries of a ward shall be made less than one year prior to a general municipal election.

Mayor and Aldermen. Their Qualifications, Powers, Duties, Salaries, etc.

Section 7. The mayor shall reside at all meetings of the city council, and in case of an equal division upon any question he shall give the deciding vote. He shall have the superintending control of all officers and affairs of the municipality, and shall take care that the laws and ordinances are faithfully executed; he shall have power to veto any measure passed by the city council; but a measure vetoed may be passed over his veto by a two-thirds vote of the aldermen elected.

He shall sign all commission and appointments of all the officers elected or appointed by the city council. He shall sign all warrants for money drawn on the treasurer, and require the clerk to attest the same, and to affix thereto the seal of the municipality, if there be one, and to keep an accurate record thereof in a well bound book to be kept for that purpose. He shall, at the first meeting in January of each year, and from time to time thereafter, communicate in writing to the city council such information and recommend such measures as in his opinion may tend to the improvement of the finances, the police, health, security, ornament, comfort and general prosperity of the municipality.

He shall have power, when he deems it proper, to require any officer of the municipality to exhibit his books and account or other papers and to make report to the city council in writing, touching any subject or matter pertaining to his office. He shall be active and vigilant in enforcing all laws and ordinances for the government of the municipality, and he shall cause all other municipal officers to be promptly dealt with for any neglect or violation of duty; and he shall have such jurisdiction as may be vested in him by ordinance over all places within five miles of the corporate limits for the enforcement of any health, quarantine, cemetery, waterworks, sewerage or electric light plant ordinance, and the regulation thereof.

He is authorized to call on every male inhabitant of the municipality over eighteen and under fifty-five years of age to aid in enforcing the laws and ordinances. He shall have the power to remit fines and forfeitures and to vacate and annul penalties of all kinds of offenses against the ordinances of the municipality, by and with the consent of the city council; but a fine or penalty shall not be remitted or annulled unless this reason therefore be entered upon the minutes by the clerk, together with and as a part of the proceedings to that effect. He shall be a qualified elector of the municipality, and an owner of real estate situated within the corporate limits, assessed for taxes at a valuation of not less than $300. He must have been for one year next preceding his election a resident of the parish. He shall receive such salary, payable monthly on his own warrant, as may be fixed by the city council, provided that the said salary shall not be less than $800 not more then $1000 per annum, for all services rendered and provided further that the mayor’s salary shall not be diminished or increased during his term of office.

Section 8. There shall be a mayor’s court for the said city, with jurisdiction over all violations of municipal ordinances; and the mayor shall have power and authority to try all breaches of said ordinances, and to impose the fines or imprisonments or both, provided for the infraction thereof.

Section 9. The mayor shall keep a regular docket, carefully indexed, on which he shall enter the causes arising under the ordinances and to be tried by him, and he shall keep a perfect and carefully indexed record of the trial of all such cases. He may hold his court at any time. The marshal shall attend the mayor’s court and serve its process, and set as its executive officer.

Section 10. The qualifications of aldermen shall be the same as are prescribed for the mayor, and in addition, every alderman elected from and by a ward must have resided in the ward from which he was elected for the six months preceding his election.

Each alderman shall receive such salary, payable monthly, as may be fixed by a majority of the city council, provided that in no case shall the salary of an alderman exceed fifty dollars per annum for all services rendered.

Other City Officers. Their Election, Powers, Duties, Salaries, etc.

Section 11. At the first regular meeting of the city council succeeding each regular municipal election, it shall elect clerk, a tax collector and treasurer, who shall execute bonds in such sum as the city council shall determine, with sureties to be approved by the city council, and conditioned as maybe prescribed by ordinance and such officers shall hold their offices for two years, and until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. The city council shall annually elect an engineer, a street commissioner, an attorney at law and physician for the municipality, prescribe their duties and fix their compensation, and may employ special counsel to represent the municipality, should occasion require.

City Clerk.

Section 12. It shall be the duty of the clerk of the city to keep a well bound book to be labeled "Municipal Minutes, City of Lake Charles," in which he shall record the proceedings and all orders and ordinances of the city council, and keep the same fully indexed alphabetically so that all entries on said minutes can be easily found. The clerk shall be the custodian of the municipal seal. The clerk shall keep a well bound book to be styled, "Municipal Docket, City of Lake Charles," upon which he shall enter each claim against the municipality, and subject matter to be anted upon by the city council. After each meeting, he shall make up such docket for the next regular meeting. He shall examine the statutes of the state and the ordinances of the municipality to ascertain subject matter required or proper to be acted upon at the following meeting, and shall docket all such matters. He shall keep all such other books and records as may be provided for by ordinance, and shall file in his office and preserve all records and papers appertaining to the business of the municipality. He shall keep, subject to free public inspection a well bound and alphabetically indexed book, styled and labeled Tax Sale Record, City of Lake Charles, in which he shall enter descriptive entries of all municipal tax sales of real estate, showing in each instance, (a) the description of the real estate sold, as recited in the tax collector’s deed of such sale; (b) in whose name such real estate was assessed for city taxes at the date of such tax sales; (c) the name of the adjudicate thereof at such tax sale; (d) for unpaid taxes of what year or years such real estate was so sold; (e) an itemized statement of he separate amounts of the taxes, interest and costs for which such real estate was so sold, as recited in the deed of such tax sale; (f) the total amount of the price of such tax sale, as recited in such deed; (g) the date when such deed was filed, or deposited for registry in the parish and for the parish of Calcasieu; (h) the date of the registry of such deed in that office; (i) in what book and on what pages thereof it was recorded there; (j) the date of the redemption of such real estate from tax sale, shall be made in each instance, within three days, exclusive of Sundays and legal holidays, for the date of the city tax collector’s deed of tax sale; and all of said entries in said Tax Sale Record book relating to the redemption of such real estate from tax sale, shall be made, in each instance, within three days, Sundays and legal holidays excepted, after the date of the deed of such redemption. He shall receive a salary payable monthly, to be fixed by the city council, not to exceed fifty dollars per month, for all services rendered. All books required to be kept by the clerk, all stationery needful for his use as clerk, shall be furnished at the expense of the city.

Section 13. The clerk shall be ex-officio auditor of the municipality. He shall keep a well bound book in which he shall enter and preserve accounts of each particular fund, and the account of each municipal officer. The treasurer shall not pay out any money on any bill or account not for any purpose, until the same ha been audited by the clerk and a receipt warrant issued therefore. The collection of all fines and forfeitures shall be reported to the clerk by the officer collecting the same immediately after such collection and said officer shall at once turn over the amount thereof to the treasurer. The books of the clerk as ex-officio auditor shall be subject to inspection by the taxpayers of the municipality at all times during business hours.

The Tax Collector.

Section 14. The tax collector shall collect, account for and forthwith pay over the taxes levied by the municipality to the treasurer, collected by him; and perform all other duties required of him by ordinance. He shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by ordinance of the city council, not to exceed the sum of seen hundred and fifty dollars per year for all services rendered.

City Engineer.

Section 16. (15 ??) The city engineer shall keep his office in the city hall building, and shall be subject to the order of the city council; he shall draw and submit to the city council plans for all improvements of squares, parks, streets, lanes, alleys and public grounds, and for all other public works of said city which may be in contemplation, together with statements of the estimated cost thereof. All applications for public improvements shall first be made to the city council, and shall then be referred to the city engineer, who shall report back thereon to said council, adding to such report the plans and estimated cost of such as he may approve, and each other improvements so he may think fit to recommend; he shall receive and present for the approval al said council all proposals for constructing or performing public work; he shall examine and consider all plans proposed for any market house, bridge, public building or other public improvements, and report to said council such of said plans as he shall approve, together with the estimate of the whole cost thereof, and his opinions and recommendations concerning the same; he shall, under the directions of the city council, make all surveys of the streets, alleys parks, and public squares of he city and all other surveying and engineering ordered by the city council, and execute profile delineations and draughts of he same. He shall find and mark out the line of all the streets, alleys, squares, parks and public grounds, which are to be improved and shall ascertain and mark the line of improvement to be made. On all contracts for public improvements the city engineer shall at every thirty days make estimates of all material furnished or work performed, upon which estimates are due under the terms and provisions of the contracts and specifications; and report the same to the city council with suggestions and recommendations, if any, as he may deem for the interest of the city. He shall cause all public surveys, maps, charts, draughts, plans and other documents, made by him to be recorded in books which shall be provided at the expense of the city, and which said engineer shall carefully preserve in his office. The titles to and which ownership of said records shall forever remain in the City of Lake Charles, La. It shall be the duty of the city engineer, in making surveys for the determination of all grades, to determine the grades of any streets whenever so required. For his services when actually employed in rendering them, he shall receive such just and reasonable compensation as may be determined by the city council.

City Street Commissioner.

Section 17. The street commissioner shall, under the direction of the city council, have general supervision and control of the streets, alleys, avenues, squares, parks and sidewalks; he shall see that they are always in proper repair; he shall have the same worked, repaired, altered, paved, lighted, sprinkled, and everything else done that ought to be done to keep the same in good repair and condition, and shall perform all other duties that may be required of him by ordinance. He shall receive such salary, payable monthly, not to exceed $600 per annum, for all services rendered.

City Marshal.

Section 18. The marshal shall be ex-officio a constable. He shall be the chief of police, and shall perform all other duties required of him by ordinance. The marshal shall receive such salary, payable monthly, as may be fixed by the city council, not to exceed $750 per annum, for all services rendered.

City Attorney.

Section 19. The city attorney shall represent the city in all suits and legal proceedings by or against the city, and shall give the city council any professional advice; he shall receive such salary, payable monthly, as may be fixed by the city council, not to exceed $300 per annum for all services rendered, including advice given.

City Physician.

Section 20. The city physician shall render such professional services as may be required of him by the mayor, or by the city marshal. He shall receive such salary as may be fixed by the city council, not to exceed $300 per annum.

Assessments of City Taxes, and City Tax Sales.

Section 21. The municipal; assessment of property for taxation shall be made by the municipal tax collector, by copying from the parish assessments rolls that portion there of which embrace property and persons within the city corporate limits; the copy may be made at any time after the assessment rolls are approved; all changes in the parish assessment thereafter made shall likewise be made in the copy; and said copy, after having been verified and certified by the clerk of the city council shall be the municipal tax collector’s warrant for the collection of municipal taxes. In all cases where persons or property, or both, have escaped taxation for the previous year or years, the tax collector shall assess said persons or property, or both, for back taxes of not exceeding three years, and said assessments when approved by the city council on notice in the persons assessed, shall be binding and conclusive, unless appealed from within five days after such approval.

The city council shall levy the municipal taxes at the regular meeting in September of each year, or, in case of failure to do so, at any other regular meeting thereafter, not later than in October of the same year. This tax collector shall collect, municipal taxes during the time, in the same manner, and with the same penalties as in the case of the collection of state and parish taxes. He shall, where not otherwise provided, be governed in all particulars by the general revenue laws of the State, so far as applicable; in making such collections; but he shall make the report thereby required to the city council, and pay over the money as soon as collected to the municipal treasurer. Sales for non-payment of municipal taxes shall be made by the tax collector at such place, within the corporate limits, as the city council may direct. The sale of real estate and the distrain and sale of personal property, shall be made upon he same notice, at the same time and in the same manner as provided by law for sales of like property for unpaid state and parish taxes. The tax collector’s deeds to the purchases for real estate so sold, after being recorded in the office of the recorder of conveyances, etc., shall be delivered to such purchasers by the city clerk, and the said real estate shall be subject to redemption for the same length of time, and in the same manner, as prescribed for the redemption of real estate sold for state and parish taxes. Where real estate is offered for sale for unpaid municipal taxes, and no bid is made therefore to the amount of taxes, interest and costs due, the same shall thereupon be adjudicated to the city, and be otherwise dealt with as in case of real estate sold to the state for delinquent state and parish taxes. The city council is hereby authorized to pay the state taxes on real estate thus acquired the city, and to collect the money thus paid, with the interest and costs chargeable to individuals in similar cases under the general revenue laws of the state from the date of such payment, upon redemption of the real estate from such municipal tax sale. The foregoing provisions relative to the registry and disposition of deeds of tax sales of real estate to individuals, and to the redemption of real estate from such tax sales thereof, shall apply to all cases of tax sales of real estate to the city. After the time for such redemption has expired, the city may take possession of, lease or sell, any property, which the city may have acquired at municipal tax sale, in such manner as, may be prescribed by ordinances.

Highways, Sidewalks, etc.

Section 22. When the city council shall deem necessary any improvement on any street, land, alley, avenue or sidewalk, or part thereof, which requires unusual outlay and costs in excess of the general improvement funds, (of which the city council shall be the judge), a special tax to defray the costs and expenses thereof may be levied. In such case the city council shall, by resolution, declare such an improvement necessary, describe it, and publish the resolution as an ordinance is required to be published; and if the owner or owners of two-thirds of the frontage of the property on said streets, avenues, alleys, sidewalks or parts thereof to be benefited by such improvement do not, within twenty days after the last publication of such resolution, file with the clerk a written protest to such improvement, the city council shall have power to case such improvement to be made, and to contract therefore, and to levy the special assessment of taxes provided herein; and the work may be done before, during, or after the collection of the special assessment, as may be determined by the city council. If the owner or owners of the property fail to make the special improvements within twenty days after the resolution becomes operative, then the street commissioner, upon order of the city council, after giving five days’ written or printed notice of the necessity therefore to the owner or occupant of each piece of property to be assessed, or to his agent, or in case of unoccupied property, when the address of the owner and of his agent, if any, is to the street commissioner unknown, by posting a similar notice thereon for such time, shall make the repairs, or construct the improvement, or cause the same to be done, keeping as an account of the cost thereof, an reporting the same to the city council at its next regular meeting thereafter, for assessment; and such costs shall become a lien on each lot or piece of ground abutting on said street, alley, lane, avenue or sidewalk or part thereof; and the same shall be paramount to all other liens, state and city taxes excepted, with ten per centum per annum interest thereon from thirty days after its approval, and the collections thereof may be enforced by a court of competent jurisdiction, after ten days’ written or printed notice to the owner or to the occupant of the property, or agent, if any, and his address be known, if the owner be a nonresident. Whenever any such special improvement shall be ordered, and the piece or pieces of ground abutting on such improvement shall not be divided into lots or blocks, the special assessment shall be made on the piece or pieces of ground abutting on such improvement shall be made extending back for a distance of 200 feet from the center of the street, avenue, lane, alley or sidewalk to be improved. It shall be lawful for the owners on one third of the number of feet of property fronting on any street or sidewalk within limits to be specified, to petition the city council for the construction or repair of the pavements of the streets or sidewalks within the specified limits, and in case of the construction of a pavement for street or sidewalk, the petition shall state the kind and quality of such pavement. Upon receiving such petition, the city council shall publish the same at least once a week for five consecutive weeks in the official journal of the municipality. Such publication shall be full and complete notice to all persons interested, and no other notice shall be required. If at the expiration of such publication the owners of a majority of feet of property fronting on such street or sidewalk within the specified limits do not protest in writing to the city council against the proposed construction or repair of the payment of such street or sidewalk, the city council shall direct the city engineer, or if there be none, a competent engineer, to draw up the specifications for the construction or repair of such pavement, and upon the receipt of such specifications the city council shall have published, for at least once a week for four weeks in the official journal of the municipality, a notice calling for sealed bids to construct or repair such pavement according to such specification the city council shall have published, for at least once a week for four weeks in the official journal of the municipality, a notice calling for sealed bids to construct or repair such pavement according to such specifications. On the day and at hour and place designated by the city council, all bids shall be publicly opened and read, and the contract to construct such pavement or to make such repairs shall be awarded to the lowest bidder, provided he furnishes a good and solvent bond with two or more sureties bound in solid in a sum equal to the amount of his bid, conditioned that he will faithfully construct or repair such pavement according to such specifications, within a time to be named by the city council, and that he will comply with and fulfill at all the stipulations and conditions set forth in his contract with the city; and provided further that the city council shall have the right to reject any and all bids. In case of the rejection of the bid or bids, the city council shall proceed at once to publish a notice calling for bids as in the first instance. The city council may adopt and prescribe such other conditions and stipulations, as it may deem necessary to protect the interests of the city and of the property owners, and insert the dame in the contract, which contract shall be in writing.

No payment on account of such contract shall be made until the completion of the work contracted to be done, and then only upon the certificate of the city engineer that the construction or repair of the pavement has been completed according to the terms and conditions of the contract and specifications.

The cost and expense of the construction of repair of the pavement or streets shall be paid for jointly by the municipality and owners of property fronting on the street or sidewalk improved as follows: the entire cost and expense of the construction or repair of the pavement of all intersections of streets and one-third of the cost and expense of the construction or repair of the pavement of the street in front of the properties fronting on such street, shall be the municipality; and two-thirds of the cost and expense of the construction or repair of the pavement of the street in front of the properties fronting on said street shall be paid by the owners of the properties on either side of said street fronting thereon in proportion to the number of feet of property owned by each proprietor, provided, that where a railway bed and track or tracks occupy a portion of the same, in proportion to the space such roadbed may occupy with relation to the whole intersection. The cost and expense of the construction or repair of the pavement of the sidewalks shall be paid, one half by the municipality and the other half by the owners of the properties abutting on or contiguous to such sidewalk, in proportion to the number of feet of property owned by each immediately abutting on or contiguous to each sidewalk. The amount thus due by each front proprietor shall be a lien and privilege on his property paramount to all other liens and privileges except for state and city taxes, with interest at the rate of one per centum per month from the date of the acceptance of the improvement by the city; which sum may be recovered by the contractor before any court of competent jurisdiction.

In case any contractor shall fail to comply with the terms and conditions of his contract within the time therein specified, the city council shall, at the expense of the contractor, cause to be completed the pavement undertaken to be done by said contractor, in such manner and under such conditions as it shall determine.

The tern pavement as used in this section is meant to include not only the pavement proper of street or sidewalk, but also curbing, crossings, bridges, gutters, drains, and everything necessary no make a perfect pavement for street or sidewalk, as shall be set forth in the specifications and contract.

Further Franchises, Regulating Conveyance of.

Section 23. No franchise shall ever be granted by the city council merely for consideration of public utility and advantage, nor for any merely nominal pecuniary consideration, nor merely for both such considerations. Every application to the city council for a franchise shall be in writing, shall contain all the terms, conditions and proposed specifications to be complied with by the applicant therefore, and shall be signed by such applicant therefore to whom or to which such franchise is sought to be conveyed. On receipt of such application the mayor shall cause it to be published, weekly, in the official journal of the municipality for not less than thirty days, together with the mayor’s proclamation, referring thereto, and inviting sealed proposals to the city council for the conveyance of such franchise according to terms, conditions and specifications to be made known upon application to the city council therefore. In such proclamation the mayor shall declare that the right to reject any and all such proposals or bids is reserved. Such applicant for such franchise shall also submit to the city council a sealed proposal therefore, within the same time as shall be thus provided for such sealed proposals. Such sealed proposals shall be opened and read aloud at the regular meeting of the city council. If after the reading of such sealed proposals the city council shall determine to grant such franchise to any of such bidders or applicants therefore, it shall be granted to the highest responsible bidder therefore upon such terms and conditions, is addition to the amount of such successful bid therefore, as may be agreed upon by the city council and such successful bidder; but one of the essential conditions of the granting and conveyance of such franchise by the city council shall be the annual payment to the city council by the grantee of such franchise, and by such grantee’s heirs, assigns, successors and legal representatives, during the term of the duration of such franchise, of a sum of money equivalent to not less than two and one half per centum of the amount of the annual gross income of such grantee, and of such grantee’s heirs, assigns, successors and legal representatives, from or on account of such franchise. A stipulation to that effect shall be inserted in the contract and ordinance by which such franchise shall conveyed; which ordinance and contract shall be promptly recorded in the office of the recorder of conveyances, etc., in and for the parish of Calcasieu; and such stipulation, together with all the stipulators of such ordinance and contract, shall be binding not only upon such grantee, but also upon such grantee’s heirs, assigns successors and legal representatives.

Regular and Special Meetings of the City Council.

Section 24. The city council shall hold regular meetings on the first Tuesday in each month at such place and hour as may be fixed by ordinance. The first meeting after this ordinance becomes placed and operative may be held at such time and place and in such manner as was authorized by law or ordinance heretofore in force. The mayor or any two aldermen may, by written notice, call a special of the city council for the transaction of important business. The notice must state the time of the meeting, and distinctly specify the subject matter of business to be acted on; it must be signed by the mayor or aldermen calling the meeting, and must be served by the marshal or any policemen, on the members of the council who have not signed it, and who can be found , personally, at least, three hours before the time fixed for the meeting; said notice with the endorsement of its service shall be entered on the minutes of the special meeting, and no business not specified there in shall be transacted at such meeting. In all cases, it shall require a majority of the aldermen elected to transact business.

City Fiscal Agent.

Section 25. The city council shall select and appoint, as fiscal agent of the city, one of the banks of the city of Lake Charles, in which all moneys, bonds, notes, securities, deeds and other valuable papers, belonging to the city; shall be deposited, on the most advantageous terms and conditions that may be offered by any of said banks; provided that the city council may withdraw all its deposits and change such fiscal agent whenever in its opinion the public interest may require.

Miscellaneous Provisions.

Section 26. The city council shall cause to be published on the first of October, annually, a statement showing the amount of taxes, giving each source of income, the amount of expenditures were made. The statement shall show the resources and indebtedness of the city at the beginning of the fiscal year and at its close, and it must be spread on the minutes of the city council. The fiscal year shall commence annually on the first day of October.

Section 27. All expenditures of money for any purpose whatever, shall be made in pursuance of a specific appropriation made by the city council, and in no other manner. Every warrant drawn on the treasurer shall be signed by the mayor and clerk, and shall express on its face to whom issued and for what purpose allowed; and the authority for its issue shall be cited in or upon it by the city council, and in no other manner. Every warrant drawn on the treasurer shall be signed by the mayor and clerk, and shall express on its face to whom issued and for what purpose allowed; and the authority for its issue shall be cited in or upon it by reference to the minute book and page.

Section 28. The provisions of the law on the subject of State and parish elections, so as applicable, shall govern the municipal elections. The city council shall appoint the commissioners of election for the municipal elections and returns of elections shall be made to the city council, which shall make such proclamation and do all other things in regard thereto as is required by law of returning officers for the parish.

Section 29. No officer or employee of the city shall be directly nor indirectly interested in any work of contract paid or to be paid for out of the city funds, or any assessment levied by the city council, nor in the purchase or lease of any estate or other property by the city; nor be surety of any person or persons, firm or corporation, having work, contract or business with the city; under pain of nullity of the contract and dismissal from office and from municipal employment; and such officers and employees shall, in addition, be liable to actual and exemplary damages recoverable before any court of competent jurisdiction, for each violation of the provisions of the section.

Section 30. Every officer of the municipality required to keep municipal records, books, accounts, deeds, or documents of any kind, on returning from office shall turn over the same to his successor in office.

Section 31. The style of all ordinances shall be: "Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Lake Charles." and all ordinances shall, as soon as practicable after they are passed, be published in the official journal of the city at least once a week for three weeks; and not ordinance shall be enforced, unless therein otherwise provided, for one month after its passage. All ordinances shall be read and considered by sections, at a public meeting of the city council, and the vote on their final passage shall be taken by yeas and nays, which shall be entered on the minutes by the clerk; and a vote shall be taken on an ordinance not previously submitted to the city council in writing. An ordinance shall not contain more than one subject, which subject will be clearly expressed in its title; and no ordinance shall be amended or revised unless the new ordinance contains the entire ordinance as revised, or the entire section or sections as amended; and the original ordinance or original ordinance or original section or sections, as the case may be, shall thereby be repealed. The clerk shall keep a well bound book to be labeled and styled "Ordinances, City of Lake Charles," in which he shall enter at length, in a legible handwriting, every ordinance immediately after its passage, and every ordinance in force at the time this ordinance becomes operative, and which shall remain in force sixty days thereafter, and he shall append to each note stating the date of its passage and city therein and the book and page of the minutes containing the record of its passage. The ordinances to be so recorded are those, which are to their nature, laws of the municipality, and not mere orders or resolutions temporary in their nature.

The clerk shall keep said book accurately indexed alphabetically. The city council may, from time to time, authorize the revision of the ordinances, and their publication in pamphlet or book form.

Read and adopted this April 4^th A.D., 1899.

Charter of 1912
Extracted from Proceedings of the City Council

AN ACT

To provide a form of government for certain cities of the State, the city of New Orleans excepted and to make provision for the adoption of the same.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assemble of the State of Louisiana, That any town within the State of Louisiana, now or hereafter having a population of twenty-five hundred (2500) or over, and that any city with the City of New Orleans excepted, now or hereafter having a population of five thousand (5,000) or over as shown by the last preceding State or Federal census, or by any census taken by the order and direction of the municipal authorities of said town or city, may become organized as a city under the provisions of this Act, by proceeding as hereinafter provided; and whenever the word "city" is used in this act, it shall be construed to include towns of over twenty-five hundred (2500) inhabitants, and such towns shall be classed as hereinafter provided.

Section 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That upon petition of Electors equal in number to twenty-five per centum of the qualified electors of any such city, the mayor shall, by proclamation, submit the question of organizing as a city under this Act at a special election to be held at a time specified herein not less than thirty days after said petition if filed. If said plan is not adopted at the special election called, the question of adopting said plan shall not be resubmitted to the voters of said city for adoption within two years thereafter; and presentation of a petition signed by electors as hereinabove provided, equal in number to twenty-five per centum of the duly qualified electors. At such election the proposition to be submitted shall be "Shall the proposition to organize the city of (name of city) under Act _____ of 1912, of the General Assembly, be adopted," and the election thereon shall be conducted, the vote canvassed, and the result declared in the same manner as provided by laws in respect to other city elections. If the majority of votes cast, shall be in favor thereof, cities having a population of twenty-five thousand and over herein to be classed as cities of the first class, shall thereupon proceed to the election at large of a mayor and four councilmen, and the cities having a population of five thousand and less than twenty-five thousand, and towns having a population of twenty-five hundred or over herein to be classed as cities of the second class, shall proceed to the election at large of a mayor and two councilmen at the first regular city election after the adoption of the provisions of this Act, and quadrennial thereafter. Each candidate shall announce his candidacy for mayor or for councilman and commissioner of a designated department or of two departments as specifically apportioned in Section 5 of this Act.

Provided that cities having a population of ten thousand or over owning and operating all of their public utilities, shall have a mayor and four commissioners divided as follows:

Department of Public Affairs and Public Education
Department of Accounts and Finances
Department of Streets and Parks
Department of Public Utility

Section 3. Be it further enacted, etc., That every city having a population of twenty-five thousand or over shall be governed by a council consisting of the mayor and four councilmen; and every city having a population of five thousand or less than 25,000 and towns having a population of twenty- five hundred (2500) or over , shall be governed by a council consisting of a mayor and two councilmen, chosen as provided in this Act, each of whom shall have the right to vote on all questions coming before the council. In cities having four councilmen, three members of the council shall constitute a quorum, and in cities having two, two members of the council, or one councilman and the mayor, shall constitute a quorum, and in cities having four councilmen the affirmative vote of three members and in cities having two councilmen, the affirmative vote of two members shall be necessary to adopt any motion, resolution or ordinance, or pass any measure, unless a greater number is provided for in this act.

Section 4. Be it further enacted, etc., That the council shall have and possess, and the council and the members shall exercise all executive, legislative, judicial and administrative powers, duties and functions now had, possessed and exercised by the municipal authorities and officers elected or appointed under the several charters of the cities as organized prior to the adoption of the provisions of this act by any city, unless otherwise provided in this act.

In cities of the first class, these powers shall be divided into and distributed among five departments, as follows:

1. Department of Pubic Affairs and Public Education
2. Department of Accounts and Finance
3. Department of Public Health and Safety
4. Department of Public Utilities
5. Department of Streets and Parks

In cities of the second class, these powers and duties shall be divided into and distributed among three departments, as follows:

1. Department of Public Health and Safety
2. Department of Finance
3. Department of Public Parks and Streets

The councils in both classes of cities shall determine the duties and powers to be performed by, and assign them to, the appropriate departments, and shall prescribe the powers and duties of officers and employees, may assign particular officers and employees to one or more of the departments, and also may require any officer or employee to perform duties in two or more of the departments, and may make such other rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper for the proper and economical conduct of the city’s business.

In cities of the first class, the mayor shall be Commissioner of the Department of Pubic Affairs and Public Education. In cities of the second class, the mayor shall be Commissioner of the Department of Public Health and Safety.

Section 5. Be it further enacted etc., That all elective officers under this act shall hold office for a term of four years. If any vacancy in any such office shall occur, the remaining members of the council, in cities of the first class, and the mayor, in cities of the second class, shall appoint a person to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term, where the said expiring term shall be less than one year; otherwise, and election shall be had to fill the vacancy.

The said officers shall be nominated and elected at large and shall qualify and their terms of office shall begin on the first Tuesday after their election, provided, that the terms of the mayor and councilmen in office at the time of the adoption of this plan continue and run until the expiration of the term for which they were elected.

The term of officers or employees, appointed by incumbents at the time of the adoption of this plan shall terminate with the terms of those appointing them, or sooner.

Section 6. Be it further enacted, etc., That any person who shall agree to perform, or perform, any services in the interest of any candidate for office provided for in this act in consideration of any money or other valuable thing for such service performed, or agreed to be performed, shall be quality of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars, or more than two hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the parish jail not exceeding thirty days, or both, at the discretion of the Court.

Section 7. Be further enacted, etc., That any person offering to give a bribe, either in money or other consideration, to any elector for the purpose of influencing his vote at any such elections receiving or accepting such bribe or other consideration, or any person knowingly adding or abetting the offer in, receiving or accepting of such bribe or other consideration, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, and by imprisonment in the parish jail not exceeding ninety days.

Section 8. Be it further enacted, etc., That in cities of the first class the mayor shall be commissioner of the department of public affairs and public education, and one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of accounts and finances; and one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of safety, one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of public utilities; and one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of streets and parks; and in cities of the second class the mayor shall be commissioner of public health and safety, one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of finance; and one councilman shall be commissioner of the department of parks and streets. The council shall at shall at its first meeting, or as soon as practicable thereafter, elect by majority vote the following officers: City Attorney, Secretary-Treasurer, and Tax Collector, Chief of Police, Auditor, Civil Engineer, City Physician, and such other officers and assistants as shall be necessary to the proper and efficient conduct of the affairs of the city: and this act shall prevail over all provisions of the charter of cities coming under the provisions of this Act, provided however, that cities of the second class, such only of the above named officers shall be appointed as may, in the judgment of the mayor and councilmen, be necessary for the proper and efficient transaction of the affairs of the city. Any official or assistant elected of appointed by the council or appointed by the council may be removed from office at any time by a vote of a majority of the members of the council, except as otherwise provided for in this Act.

Section 9. Be it further enacted, etc., That the mayor and councilmen shall have an office or offices to the City Hall, and their total compensation shall be as follows: In cities of the second class having by the last preceding census a population of 2500 not over 5,000, the mayor’s annual salary shall not be more than $1,000.00, and each councilman’s salary not more than $250.00; in cities having such census a population of 5,000 and less than 10,000, the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $2,000.00, and each councilman’s not more than $1,000.00; in cities having by such census a population of 10,000 and less than 14,000 the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $2,500.00 and each councilman’s not more than $2,000.00 Provided that in any city having a population exceeding ten thousand, and not exceeding fourteen thousand inhabitants and when such city owns all of its public utilities, such as city railroads, waterworks, or lighting plants, then the mayor’s annual salary shall not be more than thirty-five hundred dollars per annum, and the salary of each commissioner not more than two thousand dollars per annum; in cities having by such census a population of 14,000 and less than 25,000, the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $3,000.00, and each councilman’s not more than $2,400.00; in cities of the first class having by such census a population of 23,000 or more and less than 40,000 the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $5,000.00 and each councilman’s not more than $3,000.00; in cities having by such census a population of 40,000 and less than 60,000, the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $6,000.00 and each councilman’s not more than $4,000.00; and in cities having by such census a population of 60,000 or more, the mayor’s annual salary shall be not more than $7,500.00 and each councilman’s salary shall be not more than $5,000.00. Such salaries shall be payable in equal monthly installments. Every other officer or assistant shall receive such salary or compensation as the council shall by ordinance provide, payable in equal monthly installments.

Section 10. Be it further enacted, etc., That any city which shall have operated for more than six years under the provisions of this act may abandon such organization hereinafter and resume is original charter by proceeding as follows:

Upon the petition of not less than thirty-three per centum of the electors of such cities, a special election shall be called, at which the following proposition only shall be submitted, "Shall the city (name of city) abandon such organization here under Act No. 302 of 1910, as amended, and resume its original charter."

If a majority of the votes cast at such special election be in favor of such proposition, the officers elected at the succeeding quadrennial election shall be those then prescribed by the original charter; and upon the qualification of such officers such city shall become a city under its original charter; but such change shall not in any manner or degree affect the property, right or liability of any nature of such city, but shall merely extend to such change in the form of government.

The sufficiency of such petition shall be determined, the election ordered and conducted, and the result declared, generally as provided for in this act, shall be signed by none but qualified electors of the city. Each petition shall contain, in addition to the names of the petitioners, the street and house number in which petitioners resides, whenever practicable, his age, and length of residence in the city. It shall also be accompanied by the certificate of the register of voters of the parish stating that the signers thereof were at the signing, qualified electors of said city, and stating the number of signers at the time the certificate was made; and that the same is the per centum required under this act.

(Section # 11 not included)

Section 12. Be it further enacted, etc., That the regular meeting of Monday after the election of the councilmen, and thereafter at least once each month, the council shall provide by ordinance for the time of holding regular meetings, and special meetings may be called from time to time by the mayor or two councilmen. All meeting of he council, whether regular or special, at which any person not a city officer is admitted, shall be open to the public.

The Mayor shall be president of the council and shall preside at its meetings, and shall supervise all departments and report to the council for its action all matters requiring attention in any of them. The Commissioner of the Department of Accounts and Finances shall be vice-president of the council, and in case of a vacancy in the office of mayor or the absence or inability of the mayor shall perform the duties of the mayor.

Section 13. Be it further enacted, etc., That every ordinance or resolution appropriation money or ordering any street improvement, or sewer, or making or authorizing the making of any contract, or granting any franchise or right to occupy or use the streets, highways, bridges, or public places in the city for any purpose shall be complete in the form in which it is finally passed, and shall remain on file with the city secretary for public inspection at least one week before the final passage or adoption thereof, and notice thereof must be published once in the official journal or other newspaper published in said city at least one week before the final passage thereof. No franchise or right to occupy or use the streets, highways, bridges or public places in any city shall be granted, renewed or extended, except by ordinance, and every franchise or grant for interurban or street, railways, gas or waterworks, electric lights or power plants, telegraph or the telephone systems, or other public service utilities within said city must be authorized or approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at a special election called for that purpose by the council.

Section 14. Be it further enacted, etc., That no officer or employee elected or appointed in any such city shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract or job for work on materials, or for profits thereof , or for services to be furnished or performed for any person, firm, or corporation operating in interurban railway, street railway, gas works, waterworks, electric light or power plant, heating plant, telegraph line, telephone exchange, or other public utility within the territorial limits of the said city. No such officers or employees shall accept or receive, directly or indirectly, from any person, firm or corporation operating within the territorial limits of said city, any interurban railway, street railway, gas works, water works, electric light, heating plant, telegraph line, telephone exchange or other business using or operating under a public franchise, any frank, free ticket or free service, or accept or receive directly or indirectly, from any such person, firm, or corporation, any other service upon terms more favorable than is granted to the public generally. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor; punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, and in default of payment of fine and costs, by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days, and very definitely such contract in all cases shall be void. Such prohibition of firemen in uniform.

Any officer or employee of such city who by solicitation or otherwise shall exert influence otherwise directly or indirectly to influence other officers or indirectly to influence other employees to adopt his political views, or to favor any particular person or candidate for office, or who shall in any manner contribute money, labor or other valuable thing to any person for election purposes shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, or by punishment in the parish jail not exceeding thirty days.

Section 16. Be it further enacted, etc., That the holder of any elective office may be removed at any time after the electors qualified to vote for a successor of such incumbent. The procedure to effect the removal of an incumbent of an elective office shall be as follows: A petition signed by electors entitled to vote for a successor to the incumbent sought to be removed, equal in number to at least thirty-three and one third per centum of the qualified electors of the city, demanding and election of a successor of the person sought to be removed, shall be filed with the secretary and treasurer, which petition shall contain a general statement of the grounds for which removal is sought. The signatures to the petition need not all be appended to one paper, but each signature shall be accompanied with the signer’s place of residence, giving the street and number wherever practicable. One of the signers of each such paper shall make oath before an officer competent to administer oaths that the statements therein made are true as he believes. Within ten days from the date of filing such petition the registrar of voters, shall examine and for the voters’ register ascertain whether or not said petition is signed by the requisite number of qualified electors, and, if necessary, the council shall allow him extra help for that purpose, and he shall attach to said petition his certificate showing the result of said examination. If by the certificate of the registrar of voters the petition is shown to be insufficient, it may be amended within ten days from date of said certificate. The registrar of voters shall, within ten days after such amendment, make like examination of the amended petition, and if his certificate shall show the same to be insufficient, it shall be returned to the person filing the same; without prejudicial, however, to the filing of a new petition to the same effect. If the petition shall be deemed to be sufficient, the council shall order and fix a date for holding the said election, not less than thirty days nor more than forty days from the date of the certificate of the registrar of voters to the council that a sufficient petition is filed.

The council shall make, or cause to be made, publication of notice and all arrangements for holding conducted, returned and the result thereof declared, is all respects as are other city elections under this Act. The successor of any officer so removed shall hold office during the unexpired term of his predecessor. Any person sought to be removed may be a candidate to succeed himself, and unless he requests otherwise in writing, his name shall be placed on the official ballot without nomination. In any such removal election, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. At such election, if some other person than the incumbent receives the highest number of votes, the incumbent shall thereupon be deemed removed from the office upon qualification of his successor. In case the party who receives the highest number of votes should fail to qualify within ten days after receiving notification of election, the office shall be deemed vacant. If the incumbent received the highest number of votes, he shall continue in office. The same method of removal shall be cumulative and additional to the methods heretofore provided by law.

Section 17. Be it further enacted, etc., That any proposed ordinance may be submitted to the council by petition signed by the electors of the city equal in number to the percentage hereinafter required. The signatures, verification, authentication, inspection, certification, amendment and submission of such petition shall be the same as provided for petition under section 17 hereof.

If the petitions accompanying the proposed ordinance be signed by electors in number to thirty-three per centum of the votes cast for all candidates for mayor at the last preceding general election, and contains a request that the said ordinances be submitted to a vote of the people if not passed by the council, such council shall either pass said ordinance without alteration within twenty days after attachment of the certificate of the registrar of voters to the accompanying petition; or forthwith after the registrar of voters to the accompanying petition shall attach such ordinance his certificate of sufficiency, the council shall call a special election, unless a general municipal election is fixed within ninety days thereafter, and at such special or general municipal election, if one be so fixed, such ordinance shall be submitted without alteration to the vote of the electors of said city. The ballots used when voting upon said ordinance shall contain these words, "For the ordinance" (stating the nature of the proposed ordinance); "Against the ordinance" (Stating the nature of the proposed ordinance). If a majority of the qualified electors, voting on the proposed ordinance shall vote in favor thereof, such ordinance shall there upon become a valid and binding ordinance of the city; and any ordinance proposed by petition, or which shall be adopted by a vote of the people cannot be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people. Any number of proposed ordinances may be voted upon at the same election, in accordance with the provisions of this section; but there shall not be more than one special election in any period of six months for such purpose. The council may submit a proposition for the repeal of any such ordinance or for amendments thereto, to be voted upon at any succeeding general city election; and should such proposition so submitted receive a majority of the votes or amended accordingly. Whenever any ordinance or proposition is required by this Act to be submitted to the voters of the city at any election, the secretary shall cause ordinances or propositions be published in the official journal or other newspaper published in said city, such to be not more than twenty nor less than five days before the submission of such proposition or ordinance to be voted upon.

Section 18. Be it enacted, etc., That no ordinance passed by the council shall become effected until published once in the official journal or other paper in such city, and no ordinance passed by the council, except when otherwise required by the general laws of the State or by the provisions of this Act, except in ordinance for the immediate preservation of he public peace, health or safety, which contains a statement of its urgency, and is passed by a two-thirds vote of the council, shall go into effect before ten days from the time of its final passage; and if during the said ten days a petition signed by electors of the city equal in number to at least twenty-five per centum of the entire vote cast for all candidate for mayor a the last preceding primary municipal election at which a mayor was elected, protesting against the passage of such ordinance, be presented to the council, same shall thereupon be suspended from going into operation, and it shall be the duty of the council to reconsider such ordinance and if the same is not entirely repealed, the council shall submit the ordinance as provided by Section 17 of the Act to the vote of the electors of the city, either at the general election or at a special municipal election to be called for that purpose; and such ordinance shall not go into effect or become operative unless a majority of the qualified electors voting on the same shall vote in favor thereof. Said petition shall be in all respects in accordance with the provisions of said section 17 except as to the percentage of signers, and be examined and certified to by the registrar in all respects provided.

Section 19. Be it further enacted, etc., That the council shall, once in every twelve months, before fixing and deciding upon the amount of taxes to be assessed and imposed for the current or ensuing year, cause to be made out a detailed estimate, exhibiting the various items of liabilities and expenditures, including the requisite amount of contingent expenses, during said year, and shall cause the same to be published at least ten days in the official journal or other newspaper of the city, and such rate of taxation not exceeding ten mills on the dollar of valuation except all special taxes that may have heretofore been or may hereafter be voted, levied and assessed, shall thereafter be assessed and fixed, as, together with the license tax imposed by the council, and other revenues of he city, may be necessary to meet said estimated liabilities and expenditures. The adoption of said detailed estimate shall be considered as an appropriation of the amount stated therein, for the purpose stated, and the treasurer shall not pay, draw or sign any check upon the fiscal agent for any claims, unless an appropriation therefore has been duly made in accordance with this Act. The provisions of this section shall not apply to special taxes, authorized by the vote of the taxpayers to be assessed in said works of public improvements, etc.

Section 20. Be it further enacted, etc., That all of the powers belonging to any city that shall organize under the provisions of this Act, conferred either by its charter, or by law, not inconsistent with, contrary to, or in conflict with the provision of this Act, shall be preserved to the said city unimpaired to be exercised by the mayor and council elected under the provisions hereof.

And all cities, which are under their present charter, exempted from the payment of parish taxes, shall remain exempt after the adoption of the form of charter herein provided.

Section 21. Be it further enacted, etc., That this Act shall not become effective with any municipality until the terms of its respective officers as now provided by law shall have expired, and when a municipality voted to come within the provisions of this Act, the term of the officers provided for by this Act shall be for a period of four years.

Section 22. Be it further enacted, etc., That all laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Provided that cities or towns that have heretofore voted to come under or adopted the provisions of Act No. 302 of 1910 and provided further that said cities or towns having already adopted the provisions of Act No. 302 of 1910, may exercise the option of voting to come under the provisions of this Act.

L. E. THOMAS
Speaker of the House of Representatives.

THOMAS C. BARRETT,
Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate.

L. E. HALL,
Governor of the State of Louisiana.

Approved, July 17^th, 1912.

A true copy.

ALVIN E. HEBERT,
Secretary of State.

APPENDIX F

Municipal Elections

TABLE I
1890 Municipal Elections

 TABLE II
1891 Municipal Election

TABLE III
1892 Municipal Election

TABLE IV
1893 Municipal Election

 Citizen’s Ticket

City (Ring) Ticket

TABLE V
1894 Municipal Election

TABLE VI
1895 Municipal Election