The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-06-08

Market Street Bridge Question.

duCe, dltuOuPuy do yOVJ NOH P =
new. Still, it cannot be said that the
Inconvenience to the residents OF thIf
district of going around by Main street
IS so material as to alone Justify the
large expenditure required for a ne"
bridge. There are many residents of the
north side of the creek who attend
church in Centre Wheeling, aud whc
now have to make oircuit by Main
street to reach their place of Worship
but this inconvenience is not of import
ance 20 the business interests of the city
and can be avoided, as can the inconve'
pience to residents of Centre Wheeling
by the repair or renewal of the present
foot bridge.
The great reason relied upon for urg
ing the city to build new and costly
bridge is the alleged unsafe condition OF
the old Main street bridge.
II NAV be observed with reference to
this that if this furnishes reason for
ANYTHING it is for the prompt and effect
nal repair of this bridge. This seems to
be entirsly overlooked by the friends OF
the Market street bridge, as have yet
to hear of any of them making aay
suggestion to this end. This bridge, if
unsafe at all, can be easily repaired and
made as substantial as when new by
the expenditure of few thousand dol
lars. This ought to be done at once,
dnless it be contemplated to abandon
the Main street connection.
Respecting who ought to pay for the
Market street bridge If built as designed
! by its friends, | cannot help regarding
the principle as a sound one, that those
who want an Improvement, aud who
profit by it, ought to pay for 1t. know
! it is answered that it is the custom here
for the city 10 pay FOR all improvements
and that it is unfair to commence diff
! ferent rule now. 1t is true that the
expense of improvements has generally
| been paid out of the public treasury,
Iand this unwiSs system has caused us a
large city dabr. several items of which
have been incurred in unnecessary out
laws, aud as a result we have a heavy
debt aud heavy taxes with prospect 0t
their increase.
Whatever may have been the practice
heretofore, the Market street bridge
furnishes one of the cases in which the
property benefited ought TO be assessed
for the cost by which it profits. Market
street has already had more money spent
upon it than any other street in the
city. 1t has been graded and Gurbed
and bouldered and severed from end to
end on both sides of the creek aud u
protest against changing the old rules
of the city, paying for improvements,
comes with bad grace from this street.
1t might well come from the Island or
some other of the sections of the city
where they have never as yet been able
to get any improvements and where
there being in the city has brought
them only taxation, the proceeds of
which has been spent TO enrich property
holders in more favored localities.
There can be no question but that the
proposed bridge at Market street will
greatly enhance the value of property
on that street within two or three
squares of it on both sides of the creek
aud think there is not much doubt
that what Market street gains in value
Main street will lose. If we could make
any more business by the proposed
bridge; if we could draw any new GUS
tom TO our city, or support more busi-
ness houses by having it, the case would
be different; but do not see that we
can do any of these, and whGtever i'm
provement there is in the business of
Market street it must be at the expense
of Main street. The opening of bridge
at Market street will change the course
of great portion of city travel to that
street, and this will be followed by the
transfer of the best retail business as
rapidly as it can be accommodated,
leaving Main street with empty stores.
There can be no reasonable doubt but
that such change would make Market
street property more valuable and Main
street property less so, aud the owners
and lessee5 of Market street property see
this, and are pushing their selfish plans,
aided by class of men now in Council
who always vote for whatever will
spend the largest amount of the city
money.
But the rule in regard to city expend-
iture for improvements has not been
universal by any means. There have
been many exceptions where property
holders have bouldered and laid water
pipe at their own expense, and foot
pavement has always been at the ex-
UeuSc of the lot holders. The proposed
bridge, in addition TO depreciating Main
street property, would be without any
advantage whatever to residents of the
Island, of North Wheeling and of the
large portion of the city east of Market
street. But the nest important reason
against the bridge being now built at
the city expense is found in the condi-
tlon of the city finances. We owe large
sums of moaey, much of it due, for
which we are liable to have property
levied upon at any day to pay. l
learn that the City Treasurer is over
checked in bank to the extent of ftwep-
ty-hve to thirty Shousand dollars; that
we owe certificates of loan long overdue
to the extent of $4,000; that city drafts
are hawked about the streets at heavy
discounts, and that s25O,00O or more of
~" city debt must be paid in two to
iouT years, and that no way seems open
10 get the money except by borrowing
al nigh rates of interest. Understand
.ua' II Is now seriously proposed to make
STe" loan at y per cent. per annum.
understand that all OF our Baltimore
ana Ouio railroad stock, which was our
most productive asset, has been sold: all
oi our bridge stock is gone, aud we nave
ao,n.ns now to rely upon except direct
taxation.
~. O"' TAX payers may rely upon it that
tney WI. have a heavy burden man
them II the Market street brldTeis mil
upsu the present plan. '1'
lJ!, our citizens ought to have an oppor.
tunIty to vote on thisSuestion be f3Te i
is settled. 'ISu Tr,S'. Ueiote II
Ladies Fingers.