Daily Republican., 1881-06-04
SATURDAY, JUNE 4. 1881.
Our River Front Improvement. {.

somewhere about 10000 or $50, 900, Il
matter what route is chosen, and tha
will raise the taxes so that all citizen
will feel it little in their pockets
This however, can be borne for the pub
= lie good. 1t is important on account
the results which are expected to follow
IF so much money is to be spent for tn
,-- opening of highway to the river it il
naturally expected that it will resul
in increased trade and increased manu-
factories. 1t is expected that rlvcl
and ocean steamers will be induced tc
stop at our river front, that manutacto
ries will spring up on the river front
and along the Brandywiue and over the
tiatlands, and in short the city will b(
built up towards the river as well as
towards the highlands. Whether these
expectations are to be realized remains
to be seen. 1t will be expecting toe
much to see an immediate change, in a
large project which will require years
to develop, but it is the part Of wisdom
to make due preparations in time.
This the City Council is doing, but in
the multitude of counsellors there is a
division of sentiment. The river front
committee, with the exception of one
member, have uniCed in recommending
the nnaninr Of SnH,nnth tIrntrb
the centre of the jackson & Sharp
Company's works to the river The
cost Of this project including the build
ing of wharf On the river is to be in
round numbers S39, 900, but if we were
to say it would cost $4,000 it would
probably be nearer the mark, for i'm
pOrtant and costly improvements gem
orally overrun the first estimates. Even
$50, 900 however would not he too much |
for the city to pay for such an import
ant improvement if it cannot be done
for less. Taking the figure estimates of
the committee $4,000, there has been
no allowance made for damages, the |
committee presuming that the damages
will only be nominal even for passing
through the centre of the jackson 4
Sharp Company works. The question
is, will they be damaged? This will of
course be left for commission of repu-
table freeholders to determine. We
personally know that many of the
leading business men of the city have
n4 hesitation in saying that the i'm
provSSsesnt will be great damage to
the place, some placing their estimates
of the damages as high as 1000, and
Others still higher, and when the vast
extent and interests involved in the
jackson Il Sharp Company are taken
into consideration it will be utopian to
expect that such works would not be
injured by opening a public highway
through the centre Of them. Here is a
firm with national reputation,
whose cars run upon railroads all over
continent. 1t employs 900 hands and
has weekly pay roll in active business
times like the present of $12, 900 weekly
for labor alone. 1t conduces to the
prosperity and happiness of one eighth
of the population of the city. Its an
nual products bring $2,5OO,00O into
the city. Can such firm be injured
by cutting in in two by running a pub
lie thoroughfare through it?
AT the request of other manufactur-
ing firms of this city other streets have
been closed by legal enactments. West
street was vacated for the benefit of the
Harlan & Hollingsworth company.
Walnut and Poplar streets have been
closed for the benefit of the P, w. &
B. Railroad company and the Pusey &
Jones manufacturing company. In
the face of these facts it is hard to see
why the prosperity Of the places named
demanded the closing Of certain streets,
and why the opening of public street ;
through another large manufacturing
firm will. not injure it, The same pro- !
lection is naturally required for the
jackson & Sharp Company that is re- (
quired for the other firms mentioned.
Our eyes are not closed to the fact
that the River Front Committee claim !
that highway already exists through a
these works and that what is known as {
the Marsh Lane existed long before the a
jackson & Sharp company had an ex- !
istance, and from this it is inferred by Y
the committee that they have right I Il
to extend Seventh street down the f
Marsh Lane without having to pay !
damages to any individual or firm. Q
This may be true and there may Just be :,
enough in it to lead to long course of i,
litigation before the Courts. If the f,
Marsh Lane is really part of Seventh b
street proper there can be no Question y
as to the right of the City Council to T.
take possession of their own property, t.
but even ad mitting all this, should an
important manufacturing establish
nent like this one be interfered with
While there can be other and possibly c
cheaper avenues opened to the river? u u
Gould not the special facilities claimed
or the National Dredging company for k
'pening the Seventh street route be d
Used as advantageously for opening the U
Eleventh street route? The latter might >,
equire more filling up perhaps but it D
would avoid bridging the Brandywine. ft
The only bridging required would be n
mall one over the Shellpot creek, and '
rom that point Fourth street could still ~
No reached east of the Brand ywine and E,