The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-16
HOW BROOKLYN Is ROBBED
THE ATLiNTTC STREET PATEMENT
AUD TENTTLATED.
Thirfy-four Names signed for n Dispensary
transferred IN Petition for n Pavement
A Front Of $3.50, 915 for the Ring.


Transferred In Petition for n Pavement
A PROFIT Of e359.9i5 for the Ring.
One OF the most barefnced robberies per-
petra'ed by the Brooklyn Ring was the Atlantic
street paving job. The law formerly required
the consent Of the owners Of a majority of the
property before street could be repaved. but
As this could not he obtained for the repaving
OF Atlantic street, the Ring appealed TO the Leg
islature. The result was that on MAY g. 1870
GOV Hoffman signed bill drawn by the Brook
yn Ring politicians, giving the Water Board
power to repave any street with patent pave
ments OF otherwise, at their option, on petition
OF majority Of the property owners. Under
this law the owner OF one hundred lots could
he outvoted by two persons who owned but two
feet.
Immediately after the act had become law
the Atlsntic street paving job was revived and,
curously enough, those who were most deeply
Interested In II seemed TO be equally Interested
In scheme Of having a dispensary on the same
street. Property owners were approached aud
those who would not sign a petition for the
20 be hi, were asked 10 sign ior the dispensary
names were secured for the dspensary, among
them those OF such well known gentlemen as Y.
;. Lltcb1eld, William Richardson, Norman S.
Bentley. l.. s. Burnham, John N. Capp, William
zimmerman, GeoEge NJ. Woodward, Joseph G..
Hutchinson, and Eugene White. A twenty five
foot lot and building were purchased In their
name and made dispensary, the deed bearing
date July ~, 1870.
Very soon alter this the Water Board were at
work putting down patent pavements (NicolsOn
and GuideU In Atlantic street. All the signers
ment job. and had signed remonstrances against
II. Judge OF their surprise when informed that
a majority of the property owners had petit
TONED Tor the pavement, and that among the
number were the thirty.fOur Dirpensary trus-
tees. some Of them branded 1t as a forgery. and
II was forgery IL seems that the manlpula-
tors OF the job had deliberately taken the paper
ON which these gentlemen had signed for dis
pensary and attached II to paper ON which
were few other names who had asked for the
patent pavement. Some OF these names, II IL
asserted, were secured by an agreement NOT 10
charge them anything for the pavement in front
OF their premises. with few names thus OBJ
tanned, some others were secured. Then the
work went ahead. Thus the ownership Of eight
inches Of land, surreptitiOusly forced into the
hands OF thirty-four gentlemen. and fraudulent
" used by designing villains. overcame the re-
monstrances Of several gentlemen who owned
entire blocks.
The ,Gudet Pavement Company. which claim
cd To have patent for common blocks OF stone
patent they dared not defend wncn another
party put down the same thing In Myrtle ave-
nue. began at the ferry aud nut down 47,40o
square yards. for which they were paid $3U7,.
lJo.5S, or tb.fl square yard. Other streets have
since been paved and contracted To- be paved
with similar blocks at from sl.7O 20 f3 per ward
The rest OF the street or 81 ESQ square yards. was
paved with Nicolson wood blocks. for when
tlp4-5U. 30 was paid. or t5,ls per square ward
lhe same pavement has been put down In other
cities at from g. 50 to $500 per square yard. The
'''''l~Nh pavement mas SINCE bttn Clftet on. II
proving To- be worthless, and "A stone pavement
Ibid In its place at 50 per square yard. William
{. Kingsley was the controlling power In both
these companies.
According to the above figures Si.155 square
yards OF pavement have been laid I'm Atlantic
street, aud within four years there has been
paid
bon 81 ESQ yards Of Nicolson ,int ,n- q,
for ~ usu lars OF stone TO replace above 1laGC5 o.
For 4'A0d yards Of Guidet 49,, ......... 3os ead ~
Total t0i54il oi
he ~ haI la ha.
per yard, the cost would have been S2i5 as
There has therefore been loss to the CIV ON
TINS transaction of f3i0.g45. or over seventy per
cent. Estimating these iobs at far prices and
admitting that the measurement IL correct
there has been a profit to somebody on M
short street, from the ferry to Flatbush avenue
81 between S2OO.OOO and sJVJ.OUO Who IN tde tLi-
Iroht ana how IL was divided T. the question
that those who pay the bills are Interested Ina
having answered.