National Republican., 1874-04-02

so occupied which Mr.. Christy can accept or
not as the fact may bel
Mr.. Bass. And substantially the length Of
Governor Shepherd. We viii give the opinion
which we took before we acted.
Mr.. Chrigty. In this connection desire TO
say that we have awitness now under subpoena
the president of the company which has oc-
copied streets, we are informed, not only In the
city Of Washington, but also In the city Of
Georgetown-and he may be present-who
could perhaps give us this information. We
desire not simply that the principle should be
stated, or rather the claim admitted, but we
desire to go beyond that, and offer proof as to
the extent to which these railways have been
laid. We have proved, of course, in the testi-
mony of Mr., Cullinane in regard to Four-and-
s-half street. The question Of time Is material.
In several Of these charges # Is very important:
Mr.. Jewett. II the location and the extent OF
the railroad-time when laid-can all be agreed
upon between the parties II would be well.
Mr. Christy. Then we are content.
Governor shepherd. We should be glad to do
Mr.. Christy. And the charters likewise being
produced.
Governor Shepherd. We will furnish the ad-
vice upon which we acted.
The Witness, (Mr. Lynch.) I will state that
they laid the track beyond where the charter
required them 10 90. The charter confined
them to Ninth street, and they went to
Eleventh.
By Mr.. Jewett, Ito the witness, Mr.. Lynch }
Q. What have you TO say about the lowering
of the Waterman and the water connecticut
A. The Waterman running down East Capitol
street, when they commenced to improve there
I would state after the first improvement In
1873 was made the grade was very little. The
curbs for the foot pavement were nearly the
same before they touched the street at all. The
crown of the street, principally, was taken oil
The Waterman was lowered some four feet,
think; lead connections made to all the vacant
lots, and the next day some of them plowed up
The Waterman, afOer being lowered, was filled
in, puddled down, and settled, and some two
or three weeks after 1t was lowered six feet
more, again filed in, puddled, settled down.
and in a few weeks afterward 1t was taken
away entirely. Then a four-inch pipe ran or
each side of the street, which was great con-
venience to property-holders.
Q. Is it q great convenience A. Yes, sir,
G. But at great expense l should suppose
for the various changes? A. Yes, sir; twenty.
five and thirty men at work q week at q time
Q. By whose direction were those changes
made? A do not know.
Q. Was that work done by contract? A.
am not able to say. All know is that It wal
done, I presume, by the Board of Public
Works.
@. Who had charge of it, any officer of the
Board of Public Worksl A. There was q mar
by the name of Fletcher who had charge of the
lowering of the main. think a man by the
name Of Rothwell made all of the bad connec
tions. He had to break his connections twice
and finally took away all of his pipe.
Mr.. Chtisty. We desire, also, that this wit
ness should be asked as to the extent to which
the improvement for the railway was com
pieted.
By Mr.. Jewett: Q. Was the improvement
for the railway completed previous to the lay.
ing of the railings2 A. The entire railroad-it
was as complete q railroad as it could be. ex
cept the iron rails.
Q. Everything else was donel A. Yes, sir
and portion of the iron rails down on Eleventh
street, where 1t turns on Eleventh, the iror
was there, and the very moment after we re.
ceived our bills-I don't think it was but few
days afterward-they commenced laying the
iron rails.
Q. Immediately after this pavement was
laid and the track prepared, at the expense oi
the individual property owners, then the com.
pany followed It up with their rails? A Yes
sir; few days-not long after we received our
bills for the improvements.
Mr.. Jewett, Ito Governor Shepherd.) ]
Were those railroads, under the circumstance
stated here now by Mr.. Lynch, run in front OF
Government property or through Government
reservations Did you collect from the Govern.
ment the full amount for preparing that street!
Governor Shepherd. The Government Is
treated just as the property owner under the
law. We acted in accordance with the legal
advice of our counsel. / will state that we
have had two or three controversies with those
and
sylvania avenue east, and tried to carry out the
law there, but we were enjoined, and the court
divided on it, so that 1t requires new legisla-
tiOn on the subject.
Mr. Christy. desire the Governor to state
what company that was-the one with whom
he had the controversy
Governor Shepherd. It was the Washington
and Georgetown railroad.
By Mr.. Wilson, Ito witness, Mr.. Lynch:) Q.
What was done with the curbing that was
hauled away from East Capitol street, A.
Well, sir, it was taken away. do not know
exactly what became of it.
@. Who hauled it awayl A. The parties
who hauled 1t away-I do not know whether
they were in the employ of the board.
Q. You do not know where they took ~ A.
No, sir.
Q. In this wooden pavement-the last pave
ment that was put down-had the grading all
L LlerG
nowl A. You know they changed the grading
last year in one square -ouly, between First and
Second That was cut down according to the
grade established by Congress. The former
one was done in violation Of that.
Q. That is not what am talking about. Had
the grading been done ready to receive the
pavement A Yes, sir. OF course they could
not have put down the wooden pavement other
wise.
Q. Did the man putting down the wooden
pavement have any grading to do before he
could put it dowul A. o, no, sir; the contrac-
tor did that. All the man who laid wooden
did was TO put the sand along there,
or what he cailed sand.
Q. Was the grading done by one contractor,
and the wooden pavement put down by anotheri
A. Yes, sir; the last grading was done Just pre-
vious to the laying of the wooden pavement by
Andrew Gleason.
Q. Who put down the wooden pavement A..
A man by the name of Albert Gleason put down
the wood pavement. He was O sub-contractor
with John o. Evans.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. This stone pavement
that you refer 10 as having been laid, did not
the property holders petition TO have that re-
moved and q wooden pavement put down IN
stead? A. That might have been. The prop
erty-holders petitioned for two or three differ
ent kinds on that street.
Q. Did they not insist on the stone being
taken up and the wooden pavement put DOWN
A. / do not know that
Q. Do you not know that there was dele
cation there waiting on the boardl A. Yes,
sir; l was one to get the board to carry out
their first contract-to have It macademized
TO the contract with Fletcher.
Q. But after the stone pavement was down,
10 you not know that there was delegation
here to have 1t taken upl A. understood
here was.
Mr.. Christy. would like the witness to be
nterrogated in regard to the grading upon that
street and adjoining streets, as to the places
where the dirt was deposited.
By the Chairman: Q. Do you know where
The dirt taken from that street was deposited
g.: Yes, sir; great deal was deposited inside
Of the Capitol grounds.
Q. Where was the balance of 1t takena A.
The contractors told me themselves they were
selling 1t TO Mr.. Clark.
Q. Where was the balance of It taken tot A
do not know. There was very little but what
was taken here.
By Mr.. Christy: Q. Do you know as to the
trading upen any other streets in the vicinity
'f the Capitol A. Not of my own knowledge.
The committee took recess until O'Clock
}. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
On the committee reconvening, the chairman
aid: Mr.. Christy, have q note here from Mr..
amuel Strong, stating that he is not well this
he also states In this letter that
apt. Robert Boyd, who was foreman on this