The Evening critic., 1882-03-20

northwest part OF the city, and the blanks for
the other parts go back again Into their old
places In the schedule to swell the aggregato
Tor another drawing for tho predetermined
benefit Of the favored section.
10 the unsophistcated, who have listened
long and patiently to the cver-ready reply
that "all othcrstreet improvements must walt
ON the displacement Of the old wood pave
mcnts," II may be surprise TO learn that the
Commissioners are now steadily, II not STEALTH
lily, working away TO reclaim tho marsh land
In the northwestern section OF the city. With
a part OF the aforesaid S3OD,OOO, they are now
opening q, between Seventeenth and Nine
teenth streets northwest, and nlling In large,
deep rond-holc In square 15o which Is owned
and held for speculation, as Is also the adloln-
Ing square, loo, ON the opposite side OF said Q
street. Apparently, this expenditure Is re.
qulrod by no public interest whatever. There
II not n building OF any kind on the line OF
said street and no occasion for travel there.
Please drive out and see for yourself this
cnterprislng pioneer work OF our Commission.
eis. Then please come over and look ate
street, between First and Third streets north
east, IL can be reached In one square from the
northeast corner of the East Capitol grounds.
Here we have an old rotton wood pavement so
much decayed that the wooden blocks are not
now visible. Please look at this In the Hight OF
the Commissioners rule, that the old wood
pavements must nrst receive attention.
remember a case In point where the relay
ing Of n foot-pavement In front Of a new school
house, OF capacity for 72O pupils, had become
necessity; and the Commissioners were
respectfully petitioned TO relay the pavement
OF uniform slope the whole width of the
square, about 300 feet; but they percmptorily
refused for the reason assigned as above, OF
the prior claim to attention OF the old wood
ravements, although the inspector estimated
The additional expense at only twenty dollars.
And during the following long and lnclement
winter OF 1sSO-S1, saw ladies' and children
repeatedly wade through the water on said
pavement ankle deep. The pavement was left
In that condition all winter, ana In the spring
II was properly relaid.
remember another case where n street was
completely discovered by lowering the grade
of another street crossing II at right angles
some six or eight feet; aud so remained for n
year or two, cutting Off all travel over the lacer.
ated street. Then, to enable the school chill
dren 10 file through, a narrow gorge was cut
through the embankment to the improved
cross street, leaving n bank on each side, Mt
one point ten feet high by actual measure
ment; and IL was left I'm that condition another
year, impassable for carriage or horseman, for
The assigned reason as aforesaid, although
there was an available appropriation applica-
BILE TO the proper improvement of said street
at the same time. l invite attention to these
things reluctantly under "a deep and abiding
sense of the wrongs our people suffer. At my
time of life, with its precarious tenure, IL is
neither pleasant nor desirable duty. In
the foregoing have only alluded TO the i'm
provement now in progress on q street out Of
the appropriation for the current fiscal year.
But in addition thereto for the next fiscal
year, the Commissioners estimate for the i'm
provement of said Q street, between Seventh
and Twenty-irst streets northwest, an addi-
tional sum OF S39, ,S15.55.
They also estimate for the next years ap-
preparation for the improvement of and S
streets, from Sixteenth street westward, and U
street, from Fourteenth street westward, and
V and W streets, fromsBoundary 10 Boundary,
and Seventeenth street, from q TO Boundary,
and Eighteenth and Twenty-hrst streets, from
P TO Boundary, the aggregate sum of $751;
699.35, of which they place S21,OO0 In their
special schedule as 'requiring immediate
attention"
And further, although they have already
within the last two or three years expended
$4,000 for the improvement of New Hamp-
shire avenue, the most western avenue Of the
city, they now estimate for the further i'm
proyement Of said avenue the additional sum
of S4d,20S.3O, and place $26, 100 thereof in
their schedule for "immediate attention"
Respectfully, S. O. CLARKE.