Morning journal and courier., 1882-11-30
SonrnaI an0 Gourisr.
Thursday, Nov. 80. 1882.
Board of Public Works.

Board of Public Works. The Meadow Street Widening-Parties Heard-The Main Street ExtensIon- Bright Street-North Front Street Sea 1 waIl-DanSerous Drive~vay-Proposed | Improvement -The Street Cleaning | Contract-A Close Shave-The Contract | Awarded.
 A meeting of the Board of Public Works was held last evening, President Pond in the chair.
 The subject of the proposed widening of Meadow street, from George to Water, came up for hearing. MT. Thomas R. Trow- bridge said in his opinion there was no more need of widening the street than there was fifty years ago. Endless litigation would en- sue, if done, and it would be cheaper for the city to pay tue horse railroad company to move its road to Commerce street. If widened to fifty.five feet several houses would have to be badly cut. His house, which was 15O years old, would have to be moved back. He also appeared for his brother, Mir. Ezekiel H. Trowbridge, who was of the same sentiments. The widening would cost at least $75 900, and the city was in no condition to make the change in view of the proposed new sewer improvements in the western part of the city. Mir. GeOT Tge r. Marvin appeared In OppoSl- tion. He said the widening would destroy the front of his property and he should op- pose it. The city ought to bear the expense ! if the widening must be done. Mrs. Elizabeth s. Peck's interest was rep ! resented by MT. Beach, who opposed the | widening. He said it was proposed to apply ! to the Legislature to make the horse railroad ! company remove their turnouts from the l street if sufficient time was given. \ MT Willis C. ,Tudson favared tha wiHen- ! ing. The traffic in the street would be nearly l doubled if this work done and the street ! sufficiently widened. 1 James Clark also favored widening. It ! would be an improvement. ! Samuel K. Page opposed the widening. l Prof. Simeon E. Baldwin appeared, repre- senting part of the Governor Dutton estate, ! in opposition to the proposed widening. ! Commerce street, he said, was laid out sever l al years ago for the purpose of relieving the ! pressure of traffic on Meadow street. If any ! change to be made let the car tracks be ! changed.
 ! John $. Cannon represented his sister and J. s. Clark. He offered no objection to the widening.
 Prof. Gustave Stoeckel objected to the \ proposed change.
 Mir. fowler remarked that the street was originally laid out three rods wide; the l bounds nearly obiterated. In some places the width between the fences was onl J 45 feet. This finished the hearing on the subject.
 The Board then took up the matter of the proposed extension of Main street, from Al I ton street to Peck stree
 James Kennedy favored ths layout of th' ! street and the establishment of railroad ] crossing.
 Cornelius Fitzpatrick favored the exten , sion, as also did John Roach and Andrew T
 Butler, while Charles Shelton objected to ! railroad crossing until the question of th
 James street crossing was disposed of. l MT. Waldron read the minutes of four O | five preceding meetings, which were listened to by the Board with great gravity and calm ness. As usual no omissions or errors wer discovered, and the formality was dispose of.
 II Mir. Fowler said that Bright street, tn a new street in Fair Haven, had been grade to the grade. Mir. Blatchley said to Mr. F g that the street Wes to be trimmed up Tn 8 matter was referred to the Committee O. Streets. Mr. Blatchley has made satisfae + tory sidewalk on Grand street
 Mir. Coleman inquired as to the relativ I cost of street cleaning this year and last. A very satisfactorily. :. Mir. Coleman--In what streets? s MT. Doyle-All over the city. They live e up to the contract and more too.
 MT. Coleman inquired as to gutter clean y ing.
 
 ' man meant.
 MT. Coleman said he spoke with referenc = to preparation of the gutters for ice an Il snow. He said the public did not thin f they were well attended to. f MT. Doyle said there journal of con n l plaints kept each day in the office up stairs t MT. Sargent requested that the clerk ascel ! tain from the Corporation Counsel as = whether the city, or this Board, has rigE v l under proper orders to build 8 permanent SC ), wall on North Front street, Fair Haven, a l retain the street and sidewalk in the prope # 1 place. The spot was now in dangerou h condition. The water has washed away int is the street eight or ten feet, and 1t is decidedl e l dangerous. The spot involved was sever ,r ! blocks in distance at the upper part of tE l street.
 Mr. Coleman said it was not safe driv' . way after dark.
 MT. Sargent said it was an important wor
 and the opinion was good thing to get
 the case.
 Mr. Pond said before we proceeded to la ! out the money in the case the opinio l should be obtained, and in the meantime tE | Superintendent of Streets make such tempo 1 rary repairs there will make the road saf
 A motion to that effect by Mir. Sargent WI
 adopted, including the query whether asses
 ments could be laid and collected from prol erty holders adjoining.
 MT. Sargent inquired at whose expense tf 1 wooden wall on North Front street was bull Mir. Fowler said at the city's expense abo, ten years ago. It was temporary exped ent.
 On the subject of the boulevard sewer tw persons were heard representing the Maso l Porter estate.
 Daniel Lawler, of 32 Market street, offere a bid for street cleaning and repairs of u1 paved streets, naming the sum of $17, 1899 fc the year ending Dec. 1 Richard Connor an Edward Boynton bondsmen.
 Charles w. Blakeslee & Son bid BY 943
 bondsmen, Charles w. Blakeslee jr., and Wi
 liam H. Platt.
 Mr. Pond said the bids should be reiecte
 because there was no power to make a leg
 contract and because the Court of Commo
 Council had as yet made appropriatio
 for the work.
 The subject was discussed at some lengt
 by Messrs. Pond and Sargent, the latter urs
 ing that the city was getting the work dor
 fer BIO, 900 less than formerly by the prese1
 contractors, who had won most exceller
 character for faithful performance of the
 work. He therefore thought the lowest bic
 ders, Blakeslee & Son, should be accepte
 for another year.
 Mr. Pond urged that if the city has nt the legal right to make this economical an
 desirable bargain, the gentleman terme
 it, why that ended it. [. pay the money if there was no appropriation Il and he thought it perfectly legal to go ahead ,s He moved to put the question. l. Mir. Pond said his motion to reject too 's precedence. His motion was put (by ye
 and nay vote) and Messrs. Pond and Col Ia man voted yes, and Sargent, Feldman, Gi c- bert and Joyce voted nay.
 MT. Pond then moved to postpone votir 4 on the subject until the Common Council ha ,f made the appropriation. It was lost by u n same vote above ''rr MT. Sargent's motion to accept Blakeslee