National Republican., 1874-04-02
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TESTIMONY o. JAMES wEsTERFIELD.
James Westerfeld sworn.
By the Chairman, at the suggestion
of the counsel for the memorialistE ".
Whist do you know about the use OF oia
materiall A. Well, SIR, on Twentisth street,
between L and NJ, noticed that there was
counls Of brick houses going up; that they were
building them of old paving brick, but where
they came from cannot say. - -
Mr.. Christy. No; there are certain bills
which wish him to make an explanationtn m re-
ference to-,
By.Mr. Jewett: Q. Whose houses were thsyl
A. The houses of man by the name Of Thorn
tom They tell me he is a contractor.
By the Chairman: He says he does not know
where those brick came FRONT
Mr.. shellabarger. We will show the houses
and then we can show where the brick came
| from with which they are being built.
Mr.. Jewctt. It might be important.
The Chairman. If the houses are In the
course Of erection-.t is notorious fact, itseems
to melt is very easy to get some one who wiz
know where the material came fromf
Witness. Here are the vouchers in regard to
the payment OF my taxes. have paid them
| all. --r
By the Chairman: O. Did you have any old
material taken upf A. took my own old
material up.
: O. And used 1t yourself7 "A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was 1t replaced or carried awayi A. No,
| sir; / took It all away.
ton YOU wish to make in regard to your bills
YOU can make at this time.
The Witness. Well, what am charged for
on that street is done-the sidewalk only
partly; the sewerage is done, but the sidewalk
| is not finished up 10 the house; there is only
twelve feet Of IL done; there are about twenty
| six feet from the house to the curb line.
| O. The sidewalk is not yet completedi A.
No. sir; what call tho sidewalk is from the
! curb to the building line. .. ~ O. -
By Mr.. Stewart: q. Was there any sidewalk
all alongl A. Yes, sir; about IL feet wide.
O. Bot II did not 60 back to the building
linel A. No, sir.
%, That is what you understand by the side
! walk; that it should cover the whole space
from the roadwayto the building linci A. Yes,
sir. .
| o. They have not done thati A. No, sir.
Q. How wide have they made the sidewalk?
A. About 12 feet, should judge; never
| measured 1t. s--rrH...a
/ @. The same width that 1t Is all slong the
street, A. Yes, SIR.
o. How wide would It be if went from the
roadway to the 'bufldingf ines A. About 70
4 feet, judge.
Q, You think the sidewalk ought to be %
feet before they could send you in q bill! A.
Yes, SIR; it ought to be finished any way.
Y. IL IL lCtb n AOoi
i Q. It's not finished up to the hcuses9 A.
| No, sir.
Q. You think they ought to lay the sidewalk
\ there % feet before they can charge you with
what they have dones A. Yes, sir; l think so.
By the Chairman: Q. Isn't it the intention
to put park there or sodding3 A. There is
nothing there. --..-s- IL
Q. I ask whether Il is not their intention to SO
arrange ito have park thereto sod It'll A.
| 7 sIIDi1osn Il is intended TO sod it.
Q. They are not putting their sidewalk there
twen.S-six feet wide, are theyl A. No, sir.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. want to know the name
of this man who built these houses. A. His
name is Thornton.
| Q. Where does he livei A. On Twentieth
street, between L and NJ.
| @. Were the houses built entirely out of the
materiall A. Yes, sir; the buildings; they are
building them now. The front is ofnew brick.
The Chairman. He says the houses are being
constructed now.
| Mr.. Wilson. 1 understand that.
Mr.. Harrington. Before another witness Is
| called desire to state to the committee that
the other day Mr.. Wilson asked for q certified
copy of the condemnation of the lots In square
161. Those lots were never formerly con-
| demned by the board, or at least there is no
record of their condemnation excepting that fact
that the Board of Health notified the owners
that they were condemned as being nuisanccs
| anu lIJuTlOu5 10 HcdlIn, Anu requiring tnetu 70
| fill them up. The fact of the notice being
served upon the property holders was COM
municated to Mr.. Cunningham, or one of the
officers Of the board, and thereupon the board
filed up the lots which the Board of Health had
condemned as nuisances. The lots belonged
to several different parties. The stubs of that
communication could be produced If you de-
| sire.
The Chairman. We will call witnesses If we
desire them uDOn this question,
Mr.. Christy. desire, before calling the next
witness, to call attention 70 this section of the
statute. (Statutes-at-Large, vol. ~ ~. E.
The Chairman. What does that relate to!
| Mr.. Christy. To Pennsylvania avenue west
of Fifteenth street, in regard to which consider
able testimony has been offered.
The Chairman. Read it.
| Mr.. Chrsty then read as follows: >
"That the sum of SO, 900, or so much thereof
as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated,
4 for the purpose of repairing and relaying,
| where necessary, ,the pavement on Pennsylvsnia
| avenue, from Fifteenth street to the east side
| of Rock creek; Provided, That like sum
shall be expended for the same purpose by the
proper authorities of the District of Columbia;
And proyided further, Thot the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad Company shall in like
manner repair such portion thereof as they are
by their charter to do; the work to be done
\ under the supervision of the Board of Public
Works for the District of Columbia"
MIR. Harrington. Please give me the citationl
Mr.. Christy. Page 10, vol. IL, Statutes-at-
Large. The act was approved April 20, 1871.
The Chairman. What do you claim in refer
ence to thatl .-
Mr.. Christy. propose now to call q witness
to ,sI show what was done subsequent to that.
The Chairman. With reference to WHAT
Mr.. Christy. With reference to carrying out
the provision of that act.
The Chairman. What do you propose to
| show in relation to itl .'..
Mr.. Christy. / propose to show that the en-
tire improvement was changed; that the cost
of the Improvements was very largely increased,
and that the improvement could have been
made for very much less than 1t was in fact
made by John o. Evans. Mr.. Castleman Is
familiar with the facts relating to the history
of this transaction subsequently to the passage
of this law. .T'--.
The Chairman. Call hin.
TESTIMONY OF S. D. CAsTLEMAE.
8. d. Castleman sworn. o.
By the Chairman, (at the suggestion of the
counsel for the memorialists:) Q. Are you
familiar with Pennsylvania avenue from Ff-
teenth street to Rock Creekl A. am. /
Q. Are you familiar with the Improvements
that were made upon that street-Oh, this Is
the pavement put down by Mr.. Evans on the
street as the new pavement, afterward. A.
Yes, sir. -.
1nlb Is an dcL passed DrlOr
to the organization of the District government
for the repair of Pennsylvania avenue
Mr.. Christy. This work was to be done under
direction of the Board of Public Works.
The Witness. take the position In regard to
that matter that, shortly after the paving Of
Pennsylvania avenue, east of Fifteenth street,
the citizens owning property in the west end,
becoming uneasy that the same amount Of cost
might be extended TO Georgetown, in the course
Of conversation and conference with each other,
we got up q petition, which was very largely
signed, petit:ontng Congress to repair or to
relay that pavement, and not to permit
wooden pavement to be put there at Increased
cost. The petition was signed by myself and
was presented to the Committee ON the District
Of Columbia by myself, and the facts were
stated by myself.
The Chairman. You need not 90 into much
detail upon that. A. Well the result Of that
petition was report Of the committee to pass
that act. -H--
@. This lawi A. Yes, sir; making an appro-
priation and directing the Board of Public |
Works to relay that pavement.
Q. The Board of Public Works afterward put |
down new pavement A. After the act had |
been passed had consulted with two or three
members of the Board of Public Works, and I
asked that they would execute the law; and / |
TaEN on1 49, kLA-- "A a ANN