At an election held on the 4th April, 1853, P. M. Kilduff and H. S. Beebe each received 144 votes for Mayor. Churchill Coffing was elected Alderman for the First Ward, and John L. Coates for the Second Ward. On counting the votes for Mayor, a question arose concerning the validity of a ballot deposited for Beebe. By the statute it is provided that if, upon counting the votes given at any election, two ballots shall be found folded together, attempt at fraud shall be presumed and both ballots thrown out. In this case one piece of paper was found with the name of Beebe printed on it twice. It was decided by the Council that no evidence of attempt at fraud was here presented, that none could by any possibility be thus perpetrated, and that the ballot should be counted as one vote. By this decision a tie existed. The election was then decided by lot, agreeable to the provisions of an ordinance for the case provided, in favor of Beebe. The Council elected J. D. Taylor, Clerk; J. V. H. Judd and R. P. Wright, a board of Health; J. L. Coates, Treasurer; E. S. Holbrook, Assessor; James Cahill, Collector; J. P. Thompson, Marshal; T. E. G. Ransom, Surveyor; and A. F. Powers, Sexton. The place of John Morris becoming vacant by means of his removal from the Ward, J. L. McCormick was elected Alderman in his place. The May interest on the Railroad bonds was provided for in the same manner as on the preceding November. On the 21st May Beebe resigned as Mayor, and a new election was ordered which resulted in the election of Kilduff by 52 majority, Beebe being again his opponent. Whole number of votes 298. On the 20th August $5,000 of bonds, bearing ten per cent. interest, were authorized to be issued for the purpose of building a City Hall and for current expenses; and on the 17th September $10,000 of bonds, bearing eight per cent. interest, were authorized to be issued for the same purpose. The $5,000 bonds first authorized were never issued. In April of this year the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad was opened for traffic and travel to Peru. The "Peru Weekly Chronicle" was established by J. F. and N. Linton, on the 1st March, and its publication was continued until September, 1856. For ten months during this period, the Messrs. Linton also published a "Daily Chronicle" which was in all respects creditable to them and to the town. About the beginning of this year a serious fire took place on Water street, which destroyed two large three-story stone stores, with most of their contents, one occupied by E. Higgins & Co. as a Hardware store, and the other by J. H. McMillan & Co. as a Dry Goods store.