City of Selma Financial Troubles
From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:
The expenditure for the first month of this administration were $1,335.44--over receipts about $300. Tom Todd, Wash Mitchell, Thaddeus King and Henry Robinson were the first colored men put on the police force in the city. D. R. Purviance, W. R. Bill, r. Hall and Thomas W. Street were appointed as an assessing committee, and the business of assessing occupied the time of these gentlemen nine days. The wharf recipes averaged $200 per month, and the salary of a wharfinger and repairs had to be taken out of this sum. Geo. O Baker, Dr. Reese and Dr. Wilson refused to serve on the board of health, and Dr. A. G. Mabry, Dr. H. F. Mullin and J. L. Perkins were appointed to fill the vacancies. During the month of June 1867, there were thirteen interments in the cemeteries--four blacks and nine whites. This Council opened its batteries upon the numerous sink holes in the various brick yards beyond and northeast of the Worley branch, and succeeded in having some of them filled up, which was brought about by the petition of John Kayel, Patrick Higgins, G. W. Wilson, T. B. Pierce, James Swinton, M. L. Dedman and others. S. N. Mc Craw was elected city attorney and D. R. Purviance city tax collector. A bill in favor of Mr. Owsley, for teaching school in East Selma, of $550 was paid. The Council passed resolutions of thanks to Wm. J. Norris, for his labors in succeeding in funding the bonded debt of the city. D. R. Purviance resigned the tax collectorship and Wm. Johnson was elected to fill the vacancy. On July 18, 1867, $425 were paid to Phenix fire company No. 1., as the amount the city was due that fire company. The clerk purchased an iron safe from Geo O Baker & Co., for $450. The tax was placed for this year at one per cent. The city constituted and appointed Amy & Co., agents to adjust and fund the bonded and interest debt of the city. W. B. Gill Treasury, made the following report:
AUGUST 1, 1867
" The balance on the treasurer is composed of city bills and all her promises to pay, without on dollar of available currency for emergent cases. Or to pay her mortgage debts, of which about $9,000 are due on the 12th of this month."
This report showed rather an empty treasury. Mr. Ryan was employed to take charge of the hospital. On August 15th, 1867, a committee composed of W. R. Ditmars, J. L. Perkins, G. M. McConnico and D. A. Boyd, destroyed by fire $9,401 of city shinplasters and seventy-three dollars and fifteen cents of the same kind of paper in bills less than one dollar. The Council offered $2,000 reward for the arrest o the persons who assassinated Capt. J. B. Harrison. A previous Council had borrowed some money from Col. C. W. Lea, of Perry, and he was pressing this Council, who finally made arrangements and paid him. Quite a number of the business men of Selma had agreed to take the shinplasters in the way of trade, but this promise was not adhered to. The immense amount of shinplasters issued by the two previous administrations, the precise amount of which was never correctly ascertained, gave this administration much trouble It had no credit, the shinplasters would not pass, and the city could get but little of any other kind of currency for dues. The receipts during the month of August 1867, were $22,600.48, almost all of which was in city of Selma shinplasters--only $275.90 in U. S. currency. Permission was given by the Council to a committee of physicians to have a dissecting room in the city. A suitable market ordinance was adopted to apply to the new market house. Wm. Johnson resigned as tax collector and D. R. Purviance was elected to fill the vacancy.
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