National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-04

The Witness. Going over the same linz
Mr.. Merrick. Yos, sir.
The Witness. For less than that
Mr.. Merrick. Yes, sir.
The Witness. No, sir.
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. How much more woul
It cost, taking the amount of cutting and grad
ing that they have done therei A. Theywoul
have TO cut q great deal more to make q raj
road, because there are large hills there yet.
@. Do you know what Is the average cost Q
constructing first-class railroad? A. be
lieve the average would be $24, 900 or e25 900
mile. Hudson River abroad cost 1888 600 i
mile; but never made that q speciality, be
cause never performed any railroad engineer
Mr.. Harrington. The Metropolitan railroad
right in this country cost $500, 900 mile.
By Mr.. Merrick; Q. Have you made an
computation with regard to the amount of car
riageways on any streets of this city, takin.
as basis of your computation the measure
ments as sscertaincd upon plats and publ
records of the city, and compared the compu
tations thus made with the amount of charge
for carriagewsys within those spacesa A. o.
the street that l lived on made that specia
subject, because I was interested In It.
think found some discrepancies-faults O
measurement.
Q. State the extent of any discrepancy tina
YOU may have found in that mode of compari
son. A. In the first place, at the intersection
of Third and E streets, where in this report o
1873 one-half is charged to E street, and the
have not charged enough to it by three or fou
hundred dollars.
Q. How with regard to the quantity Of car
riageway as charged in any of these streets
Is the quantity as reported, measured, and pail
for more than the measurement would verify
A. In regard to that / will say that have pail
c portion of my bill for the improvement on /
street, and Ibid not pay the whole cost becaus
I thought 1 would examine It first. Since
have made that examination have found they
have measured wrong; that is, according to ny
calculation; that there is about four hundred
square feet more of wood pavement on E street
between New Jersey avenue to Fourth street
than was actually laid by the contractors fol-
the laying of the wood pavement on E street
Q. Four hundred square yards moref A
Yes, think 1t is about 400; maybe II is ONLY
800, and maybe $50.
Q. Between New Jersey avenue and Fourth
street, A. Yes, sir.
Q. How many squares is that A. Foul
squares.
Q. Four hundred yards, you think, in excess
A. Yes, sir; or may be 800.
@. More than the actual measurement would
justify A. Yes, sir.
By Mr.. Stewart: Q. Do you know whethel
they have measured the same work twice, o.
whether they have taken the intersection: Yor
understood exactly how they measured 1t so Al
to measure over the same thing, did youi A
Yes, sir.
Q. You see the Importance of that in testing
the work, to see where they began and where
they left off, what they put under one contract
and what under anothera A. Yes, sir; know
that. Their report will show that.
n Aolyf frOr1 vhot
street to WHAT A. Taking the intersection
Third and E northwest, right up by the City
Hall. .--.- ......
O. You say half of the intersection should be
charged to each street where there are inter.
sections7 A. Yes, sir.
Q. But suppose the roadway is of different
width on one street than on the otherl
Mr.. Merrck. That would not make any diff.
ference in the intersection.
Governor Shepherd. Certainly 1t would.
BY Mr.. Stewart: Q. Where there has been
parking on both streets so that they do NOT
come through the whole width--you understand
between the parking line and the curb line
how do you charge thatl A. Since Third
street was one of the first streets improved
down in this portion of the city 1t is very easy
to work out that problem. Do you want. to
find out how that parking was Charged
Mr.. Stewart. Yes, sir; that is the portion Of
the street opposite the parking. How was that
charged .--.....
A. I do not exactly see your point. .
The witness here referred to map to explain
his point to Mr.. Stewart, and the chairman an
nounced an adjournment to O'Clock p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The committee reassembled at 2 o'clock
p. m.
TESTIMONY OF L. D. MERCHANT.
Id. Merchant was called at the suggestion
Of the memorialists, and, having been duly
sworn, testified as follows:
Mr.. Christy. Mr.. Merchant will testify as to
IN alley, in regard to the improvement OF
which he has been taxed.
By the Chairman: Q. State what you have
10 say in relation to the property referred tol
A. I do not know as have anything to state.
All have to say is that paid for opening an
alley, and the alley has not been opened yet
hat know of,
Q. How much did you pay. A. Four hun
ired and sixty-nine dollars and eighty -four
cents. ~ ~. -
By Mr.. Merrick: Q. Just locate the alley.
A, 1t is in square 1852, lot No. 9. do not
know but the alley has been surveyed. It has
aot been graded. "a.
By the Chairman: Q. But 1t has not been
ODeleQf a. MOI Thai huOW Ol
O. Would you know If 1t had been openedl
A. 1t had not been opened few weeks ago.
have not been around there for several weeks.
Q, When did you make this payment A.
,hink in August.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. have you the bill with
Toui A. Yes, sir.
o. Let me see it, please. 1.-THE bill was
handed to Mr.. Mattingly.l
o. Was that a public alley, or was the
yround condemned for an alleyl A. The ground
was condemned, think.
o. An inquisition of jury taken, suppose,
,r do YOU know thatl A. do not know any
hing about that. This bill was sent to me,
md paid It, and that is all know about It..
should have said one-half of that amount was
paid by myself and Mr.. Cragin. paid the
bill myself, and he paid me one half Oft.
O. It has all been paidl A. It has all been
paid, as the bill shows.
o. Between what streets is this alleyl A.
This is between Pennsylvania avenue and c
street east; think the square Is. These lots
front on Second street,
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. This lot of yours I
presume forms no portion of that alleyi A.
No, sir.
Q. No portion of your lot was taken for that
alleyl A. No, sir.
Mr.. Mattingly. presume the way that &C.
cured, without knowing anything Of IL, was
that other property in that square was con-
lemned for an alley, and other lots which abut
upon the alley, and derive the benefit of it, arc
assessed to pay the other property holders from
whom ground is taken to make that alley. Of
course that has to be collected and paid over
10 the other property owners before their prop
erty can be taken.
By Mr.. Jewett: Q. Do you know anything
about that2 A. l guess that is about so.
O, That this was an assessment to pay prop
erty holders for that condemned for that alley
A. I supposed at the time that included grad
ing and opening the alley.
Mr. Mattingly. The way this Is done is simply
this: that the ground has to be condemned, the
inuuisition of Jury taken to assess the value,
and the amount of damage which the property
owner sustained whose land Is taken for the
alley. - ..
Mr.. Jewett, Ito Mr.. Mattingly) Has that
been donef
Mr.. Mattingly. know nothing of that par.
ticular instance. Ipresume that was the way
It occurred.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. Do you know of any con-
demnation Of the property for an alleyi A.
think they had commissioners there to condemn
the property. was not there, but think so.
BY Mr.. Stewart: Q. Did they condemn any
portion of your LOTT A. No, sir.
@. Did they take It all off the adjoining lott
A. The lot oppositel The alley runs of one
corner of this lot.
Q. They took it of the opposite Ioti A. Yes,
sir; the opposite lot.
Mr.. Mattingly. The records of the board