The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-05-24
Grading the streets.

Grading the Streets.
We publish the following from the Times
of yesterday, at the request of several of
our most interested citizens:
HILL SrREET.-This street runs out of St.
Anthony near the residence of Mr.. Pierson,
into Eagle. Hitherto it has been almost
impossible to get up or down it, but Col.
Robertson and other enterprizing citizens
owning property near by, have employed Ia
borers to gradeit, so that loaded teams can
pass over it with ease. 1t is further con-
templated to open new street at the bot
tom of the buff, running along by the Up
per Levee. Goo l.-1imes Of the 20th.
I. NJ. NEwsoN, Esq.-Dear Sir: The
above paragraph contains an error into
which | probably havele you. Insreply to
your inquiry, remarked, as we were pass
ing by Hill street, that the property-holders
on it were to pay for cost of grading, &c.
If l had added, (what I supposed you knew
that the work was ordered and the laborers
employed under a contract Of the excellent
City Government, the error of your para
graph NOutu HdNS. OcSil a' oiucu. Lie OK
| pense is taxed on the lots on the street i'm
proved, and in that way paid by the proper
| ty-holders. This is what meant.
D. A. r.
| p. S-As St. Paul is bound to be great
city, and cash is worth three per CEN:
month, l am in favor of borrowing
on the city credit sufficient sum, say Ole
hundred thousand dollars, to open and grade
our streets, and $1,000 to build City
Hall. l have no doubt city bonds bearing
| 10 per cent. per annum interest, and payable
in ten years, would sell in Wall street, New
York at par. Cost in interest would be
| Sll goo per annum tie value to our city q
the money borrowed, two or three times
that sum annually, besides the advantages
derived from grading the streets.
Cash would then be paid to laborers in
steadof orders, and consequently the work
would be done cheaper.
| 1t may be safely asserted that $lCO, eco ju
dciously expended as proposed, with aprop
er regard to the future, would save the city
of ten years hence, with its population o
seventy thousand, IRON 5000, 600 to $500.
! coo, and that the owners of tn t date, wht
will pay the debt, will applaud the forecas,
of their predecessors.
| TO avoid difficulty, the amount borrowed
could be divided cquitably among the wards
have 10 doubt but our City Government
would make an honest and j,dicious expen
dtrre of the money. An act of the Lesis
aturc would be necessary to this project
What say those Interested in tie develop
rnent of St. Paul X.
| REMARKs.-Wc call particular attention
to the "P. s." of our correspondent. The
suggestion is one Of great Importance
every citizen of this city, and now is the
time to act effectively. 1t is absolutely nee
essary that our streets should be graded
and it would cost less to borrow one hun
drcd thousand dollars for ten years, and il
the manner proposed, and pay the interest
| thereon, than it now costs the city eacl
year to do only half what might he don,
with the money so borrowed. For instance
the citizens Of this city, this YEAR, will bt
taxed upwards Of $1,000 to grade Tx
streets, and that $50, 600 will reach $4,000
because the wCr.ilnon are t. be paid in cit,
! orders. on wLic'l there is discount, or the
city VII he obliged to BOTTOM the none.
ana pay ) or Per cent. per month interest
The int. est on the Sl00,CC0 will be Lu
$40 eco per year;-the city will have til.
cash to pay for the work when it is done
and consequently will save from $4,000 tc
S30, coo on the Sl0O,0C0 invested which i:
row thrown away on d scountS and interests
Isn't this worthy notice? And then again
the work will be done, and done we'll AM
done at orce, and the hundred Of hands VIII,
will be employed to do 1t, will spend til,
money received from the CITY, among ou
merchants and farmers. And then again
property will advance five-fold; and still
AGAIN, we shall have a decently laid out city
We ask ORR readers, isn't this worth think
| ing Off
Our knowledge of what it has cost t!e
city Of New York, Chicago, Boston, ant
other places, to open and widen Streets en-
ables us to say to the tizens OF St. Paul, i
You borrow this SlC0,0t0 now, at 10 pei
cent, and lay out the city properly, in te,
years it will be a saving to You Of $500 600
The corporation of New York city paid 9
year ago more for one little piece of lane
in Canal street, than would have graded tho
whole of that street lifteenycars ago, and tn,
same can and will be said cf St. Paul. i,
the future, if we do not Iestir ourselves II
matter Of SO much importance to ALL
| A City Hall, erected at cost of $1,000
wonld more than pay for itself IN ten years
and its Importance to the city is admitted BY
every one. Why not, then. start the move.
ment Immediately? We feel sure that if tic
subject was properly understood, and tho
people called upon to vote, the vote would
he almost unanimous in favor of the loan.-
Ed.