Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-26
THE DAILY BEE--COUNCn BLUFFS, TUESDAY, JUNE 0, 1893.
A PROTEST.
Property Owners Along the Greek
Object 10 Being Crowded to
the Wall,
Their Opinion OF the Councils Ac
ton Requiring Them to Fill
Streets.

ton Requiring Them to Fill
Streets.
At a recent meeting of the city council
a resolution was offered by Alderman
James, and adopted by the council, or
dering the filling to grade of Broadway
from Sixth street to Thirteenth street, Of
MUNSTER street to venue A., and av-
enue A from its east end to Thirteenth
street, the expense of the same to be
borne by the adjacent property owners.
The action of the council has awakened
no little criticism, and a formal protest is
being prepared which will probably be
presented at the mex meeting Of the
council, The filling up of these streets
will doubtless serve as a protection to a
good deal of property, by preventing
the overlooking of the creek and
the carrying of the water onto
property away from the creek, but there
are other interests to be considered, and
others who are entitled to a voice in the
matter.
Those upon whom this action falls as a
heavy burden are those whose property
is between the streets which are ordered
filed and the creek itself. Such will gain
no protection from the filling of the
streets. The high grade of the street
may keep water back, but the water will
nevertheless sweep over their lots, and
food them. Many are ready enough to
say, "Why, let those folks fill up their
lots too" 1t is very easily said, but the
condition of some of these, in fact many
of these people, should be considered.
They have just met with a
heavy loss by food, and are
straining every nerve, and using
their means to repair damages, raise
houses, fill lots, build %levees, ETC., and
now the council orders them to go to the
additional expense, and that, too, at
once, of filling the streets. They protest
against this as being ~''crowding the
m%ourners."
The force of this protest is increased
tional expense does not help protect
those whose property is between the
street and the creek. and hence they feel
that, Just at a time when they are suffer
ing from a recent loss, and are carrying
all the burdens they can, that the
Gil shows little consideration in demand
ing of them that they shall lift a still
) heavier burden, and lift it at
: once, not for their own protoc-
, ton, but for the protection of those
5 who are away from the banks of the
3 creek,
: The following communication of Col.
l Cochrane has been commended as show
, ing a spirit of progress and enterprise,
and represents the feelings of some on
the other side of the question:
, Council BLUFFS, la, June 20, 1883.
, To the Honorable Mayor and City Council Of the Cit,
| OF Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Inasmuch rs you are about moving il
the grading of streets in which l have {
, property interest, viz: Lower Broadway
I MINISTER and Washington avenue, ant
the cross streets connecting, l take Thu
method of removing all impeachment OF
my part, by yielding unqualified
u acquiescence to your movement o
enterprise, 80 necessary to tn
Y improvement and protection OF prop
s erty thereon. Private improvement
a now to be made in the district sub
o ject TO damages by periodical over
flows, cannot now be estimated at NOR
than half the cost of construction; bu
with the streets made up to grade tn
Q property would be desirable and frs
class, and would increase in value q
Q to 40 per cent after deducting cost O
grading. / hope all concerned will a
q once promptly shoulder the burthen o
the grade, as the remedy against nsV
y disasters can be had no other way.
g Respectfully,
% A. COCHRAN.
J. 1t is all well enough for an editor VIII
a has not a cents worth of property in
volved in the matter to commend this
but the additional remark that che
q known as one of our largest propert
q owners, and carries on two large farms
where he spends his summers,
70 should be also kept in mind. All thos
% who are called on to pay this tax, ar
not so fortunately fixed as Colonel Cocf
ran, and while his communication show
enterprise, it would come with bette
grace from some one who has to tug an
Or sweat to lift his portion of the expens
IN ordered by the council.
One worthy widow, for instance, ha
7. her home almost ruined. 1t was her all
o Her friends and sympathizing either
~ have contributed 5000 or more i'll ord,
40 to get her house repaired, and she
struggling to get her lot and home
shape again. 1t does very well for som
man with ''two farms and one of OF
largest property owners, to urge the &c
Oh ditional expense of filling the streets, b.
"a, her voice should not be silenced. b
Of cause one such man is able to raise h
70, share is no reason why the widow shout
ey be forced to lift a heavier burden.
If all were able to bear it, it woul
:, doubtless be a grand thing, and a gre
y. and needed improvement. Some of the
are able, but those who are not should
NV considered.
10 II is doubtless true that the filling
these streets will increase the value
a property, but to crowd this onto Il
property owners, before the flood whi'
ruined their property has dried, and whit
" they are using all available means to +
pair damages, and gain a little more pr
The lection, is a strange inconsistency wi
the sympathy shown on paper and in tai
Inc and the real sympathy shown by tho
who have made actual contributions
relieve the sufferers.
Another point urged by these citize
is, that the city has already turned