The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-08-30
The streets.
How our Copperhesd Councilmen Spend
the Pubsic Funds-Botefur's "P0Iiey."

The Streets.
How our Copperhesd Counoilmen Spend
the Pablie Funds-Botefur's. .PsIiey."
We give below brief review Of the pro.
sress Of Botefur and his siders and sbettors
in the council Ia the matter of street in-
provsuenta and repairs. It will be hsrd to
Hnd more blundsring. stupid and dishonest
record in any city this side ofNsw York,
where the counoilmen trust their arms into
the public treasury up to the elbows snd
snap their fingers in the faces of the taxpay.
ers when they propose a remedy.
The statements made here can be verified
by consulting the record Of the City Clerk,
NAPOLEON STREET
was the fr.t taken in hand BY the council.
A resolution IVES passed to "repair" the
street. The Street Commissioner, under the
direction of Botefur, STONED it thoroughly
throughout at an immense cost to the city,
every member Of the council, except Bote-
fur, expected that only ordinary repairs
would be made on the street, according 10
the wording Of the resolution. Not a word
has ever been said by Botefur in regard to
assessing the property owners along the line
and taxpayers on the East aide and in the
First ward, pay as much for the permanent
improvement Of this mparatively unim.
p,rtant street as the property owners who
live along the line, and whose property has
been increased in value by the improve
ment.
cRoaHAE STREET
was taken in hand next il order. Motion
was made and carried to stone the street
from Main Street to point beyond Mr..
wHIrr's, where it had been previously gravel
led. In this cass contrary to the Napoleon
Street precedent, a committee was appoint
ed to assess the property holders, although
this is one of our main thorough ares, and
is used constantly by the people Of this city
aud those who come here to trade, while
Napoleon is never used except by those who
live on its line. In discussing this motion
Botefur declared his policy to be "Perman.
ant improvements TO be assessed upon the
property owners, repsirs to be paid for by
the city," and was therefore 10 favor of as-
sessing the whole expense of the proposed
improvement on the property owners on
croghan Street. At the very next Council
Meeting. however, he thought only a slight
assessment should be made on the property
owners. The assessment committee have
not yet reported and final action is yet to be
taken in the matter.
COURT STREET
Which runs parallel with Croghan from
the Public Square westward, is in great
need of improvement. When the question |
Of improving it came up in Council, Botefur
had gone back to the idea that property own.
ers should pay for Improvements, and NOV
ed that those on the line of the street, |
should appear at next meeting and make
their desires known. At next meeting the |
hall was filed with residents Of Court Street |
all protesting against improvement, IS they |
could do the work themselves, cheaper than |
the Council could do it for them, and they |
had the best reasons for beleavir G they could |
save money by such an arrangement. Bote-
fur then gave it as his opinion that the street |
could not be improved by the city, If the |
majority of the property owners were orp's-
ed to It. The work on Court Street was |
therefore laid aside.
ELM STREET.
When the proposition from JUNE & Buck. |
LAND to furnish all the gravel made at their
pits for two years and pay SI50 in cash to
gravel EN- Street was made, Botefur declar- |
ed that property owners should be assessed |
for the work and said that "as long as he had |
breath to oppose it the city should never p,v |
one dollar to improve Elm Street" adding |
some slurring remarks in regard to JUNE d
BUoKLAND. He said in his speech that the
street had been for years ''de,d weight"
on the Council, that last year $4,000 were
spent on it and that 1t was time such favor.
itism was stopped. At subsequent meet.
ing he moved that the proposition of JUNE
& BUoKLAND be accepted and made speech |
pointing out the benefits which would ac-
crue to the city, and after some opposition |
from other members of the Council the mo.
tion carried.
ARCH STREET
Was graded al the expense of the city,
and after the work was done at consider
able cost, the property owners protested
against its being stoned at their expense and
the work was dropped. although it is one of
our most important Streets, when trade is
brisk and Front Street crowded with teams.
THE RILEY ROAD
Has excited considerable interest Of late.
The necessary grading has already been
done. we believe, and BorEEUa has been try
ing his best to get the Street stoned. At last
accounts, however, his game was blocked
by the failure of the other Democratic mem.
bers of the council to vote for it. The
Riley Road Is one of the best natural roads
leading to the city, good nearly all the year
and never very bad, even in the muddiest
season. Bo7EFUn's plan was TO stone the rosd
to Chestnut Street. at the top of the bill
above SHERwooD's Tannery. and leaving the
hill as it is, stone Chestnut Street to Ohio |
Avenue. The only reason that can possibly |
be assigned for choosing Chestnut S rect is
the fact that two Lager-beer Saloons are 10. |
Gated on it and their patronage will be in.
creased by the travel which would be oom-
PEELED to pass that way, instead of taking |
the more direct route to town. Another |
Street, parallel to Chestnut, has the school
house on 1t and sound reason might have |
been given for s'oniug that, but the con-
venienee of the children was not thought
Of
THE MORRISON STATE ROAD
=, bo .oIla1 Tho esq.,, - Ill Ill