The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-17
Tho CITY 10 be Paved.

Neither time nor space perLnit'e" aDy
comment Saturday morning upon t10 , iao'
that both Branches Of Councll, Ff.uSy
evening, coucurred in adopting the draft
ora hit for tho action OF the Legislature,
n authorize tho joint action by city and
n. owners for paving the streets indicated
no the resolution adopted at the previous
meeting oil Council. The bill is to be for
warded to our delegation by tho Mayor
with a request Tor its enactment into o 10"
as carly as practicable.
Its provisions. briefly, arc these; a
board is created to estimate the value OF
tho existing cobble stone pavements, IN
their present condition, on streets and al
leys. Twothirds OF this value is to be
charged to the property fronting on such
psyements; that is, one third to cach
aide Of the street or alley; and this
Ia to be paid by the property owner to the
city in four equal annual iDStallments,
the first ono to be due the LIST ct Septem'
Der next. The money thus Occruing to the
city treasury Is to constitute pavement
fund, 10 be devoted exclusively to paving
BY the following method: Whenever the
owners Of majority Of the lots fronting
on any unpaved street or alley for TIT
distance O! y square or more petition Coun
eli for d pavement OF cobble stone, "0l
other suitable material" along go much
OF that street or alley, Council must pave
the sane accordingly snd the expense
ia = be borne .h;7d by the city and
one third each by the property on eacl
side Of he street or alley the payments
to be made in four equal annual install
ments, tho frs! being due 80 days aItel
the work Is completed. II the petitioner
want to macadamize instead of pave, 1t il
to be done on the same terms, except tina
It is then to be discretionary with Council
whether the city will pay its thirt
Of the cost, this being obligatory on TIT
city in the case Of cObble or other pave
ment. Also, after tho pavement fund
hos been exhausted, it will be discretion
ary with council whether the city will pay
the third for pavements thus petitioned
Tor. These arc tho leading features Of the
bill. The details are carefully prepared
the bill being drawn by Gen. WHEAT.
We heartily rejoice oyer the prospec
this step opens up for the redemption o
the city from the dominion Of mud ant
other features which may DO excused il
the country village but are intolerablc in
In a city with $4,000 people ant
twenty or thirty millions OF wealth
BY the method here proposed the city
may IN a few years be well paved
throughout. 1t never will be upon any
other plan yet suggested. Tho apparent
hardship OF requiring payment for pave
ments already laid, Is only apparent
They were laid OF tho expense Of the city
and are put on tho same footing as those
yet to be laid. The paving OF any street
or square, will be ut the discretion o.
those most to be benefited by ii; and the
benefit will come back 30 quickly in
increased utility, comfort and value thai
no one will regret the outlay required
We trust our citizens in every part Of
the city will give this measure their
earnest and cordial support. 1t Is quite
time for Wheeling to emerge from the
utraggling country town, with impossible
thoroughhres, into clearly, beautiful,
well ordered city. This is an important
and promising step in that direction. II
Is to be hoped all will be willing to bear
their share Of the burden cheerEully for
the sake of the reward which general
acquiesence in this matter will surely
bring.