Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-14
rxoHAnaR BUILDING.
opsnsons OF an old citizen Upsn
Points in Dispute.


therefore make no pretension Of deciding
questions Of law or Of right like my
friend waddeil; but II he wishea TO test
the question Of the right of the city to
dispose of her property in any way she
pleases, he can appeal to the courts.
Very likely an enterprising lawyer will
be glad to get good fee out Of him and
he'll expect to be paid In advance, too,
just as Bickford paid the city for the
lease Of Exchange Square.
"One Of the Public = thinks Exchange
Square was the only piece Of city prop
erty ever leased for private purposes
He says Court, Market and Auction
Squares, as we'll as the Promenade, were
{" dedicated to the public by the original
proprietors Of Memphis. Let us see
about that. f. y t.ll-,slrs s-.is r,doGg
For period Of fifteen years prior to
ls43 Court Square had in its center q
frame building, which was fret used as a
church and afterward as q schoo-house.
An Alderman, now living, therein
taught the "Young idea how to shoot"
and FIRST awakened ideas in the mind Of
one who now takes delight in ridiculing
the most presumptuous petition ever
presented to municipal body.
Every old citizen remembers that a
market-house stood for over twenty five
years ON Market Square, the stalls OF
which were converted to private use"
by butchers, gardeners and marketmen
generally. These stalls we're rented by
the city. and usually paid for only one
year in advance; whereas Mr.. Bickford,
who rented Exchange Square from the
city, paid his rent-aud taxes, too
ninety.nine years in advance.
Now, if Mr.. Waddell has not paid city
taxes for this year on the Oyerton Hotel,
most likely John Il. Bowen would cheer
fully take them, and he would also be
happy to give a receipt for taxes on the
same piece of property for seventy eight
years in advance. When Mr.. Waddell
does this, be may feel proudly satisfied
that he has performed his duty; but not
till then should he claim the right Of pre-
nouncing Exchange Building public
nuisance" e.'. WIZ
Any one visiting Auction Square will
find the north half of it converted to the
"private uses" of the Memphis and
Ohio Railroad Company. don't know
whether they pay for il or not but it is
certain they use 1t for private pur-
poses" mgl sshoo.A
On the original plan Of the city the
strip of public property known as the
Promenade began at Jackson street.
Strange to say-and yet it is the truth
that portion Of the ground between Jack
son and Market streets, covering twice
the space occupied by Exchange Build
ing, was sold to the General Government
Where were the original proprietors"
when that sale took placer Alas, they
had no wise Waddel to advise them So
the city violated law, right, and every
thing that is virtuous and sacred--all for
the want of Waddell, who was at shat
time as young in years as he is now in
wisdom.
The city disposed of two squares to the
United States Government, which was
an act commended by many. However,
in few years after, the Government re-
turned the Navy Yard property, ipclud-
ing the two squares. Why didn't the
legal.wise Waddell at that time petition
the City Council to remove every build
ing on the west side of Chickasaw street,
between jackson and Market, for OBJ
structing the fronts of buildings on the
opposite side, or obstructing the fronts
on the Mississippi riverf"
Legally, Memphis must be in a mess
of darkness" If any one walks down
Front to Washington street, he will see
piles of lumb Der on the Promenade. How
the City Council came to lease that strip
of ground between Washington and
Adams, to "obstruct the 'front.' Of the
Trigg Block, is a mystery. Perhaps Wad-
dell, who deals in myths and mysteries,
can explain it.
Taking the plan Of the city as guide,
I end the original pFopTietoFs Of Mem
phis" laid off and dedicated to public
use an alley, sixteen and half feet wide,
on the north side Of the block occupied
by the Overton Hotel. Now, is thatalley
open to drsys and wsgons2 Surely it is
not suspected that Mr.. Waddell ever
closed it to everything save bipeds; and
yet il Zone of the Public" will search
the proceedings Of the City Council, he
will find that his friend actually petitioned
for that very privileged If, then, Wad-
dell believes the city had right TO grant
the "private use of an alley, has she
not the right to grant the private use "
of Exchange Square to Mr.. Bickford ?
The principle in both cases is the same.
Mr.. Waddell may be astonished some
day at finding a petition before the City
Council to abate bis hprivate" building
over that alley as "public nuisance"
as it " obstructs the front" view from the
windows of the Mayors and Controllers
Offices. hope he'll not get frantic, and
reproachfully cry, like Lady Macbeth;
"0ut, damned spot, outl
OLD CITIZEN.
cold Citizens orisinsl letter would occupy
too mueh spsce in the LEDGER. Wehave there