The Evening critic., 1883-02-17

But It makes street nearly Lowell, to aid In
turning tho travel from the vicinity OF tho
capitol 70 tho northern part OF tho city. Two
parallel and adjoining streets, NJ and n, seem
10 have been paved FOR n similar purpose over
on the south side Of the city.
Up to this point have referred 10 no matter
IN which have any more than common In
tcrest. neither reside nor own property on
any OF the streets mentioned.
But / do own n little corner lot, handsomely
located ON Eighth street southeast, on which l
have been taxed more than Its purchase price.
Pavemens werelaid on both the north AMI
west side OF It, exclusively nj my own expense,
and tfees were planted and nicely boxed In
front OF It, also at my expense. shortly after
me grade was changed and the pave
mcnt on one side was lowered about
Two feet, one.thlrd at my expense. Although
thls occurred ten years ago said lot remains
IN That condition -day-with one OF the two
streets on which It fronts at right angles, two
feet lower than tho other and with the front
FOOT pavement not only two feet above grade,
but IL or 1b feet within the prescribed line
for foot pavemcnts. The trees planted are
gono ana others cannot be planted
In their stead until the street is lowered to
the new grade. The properly owners and
residents on said street have repeatedly DO.
titioned for the Improvement OF said street. so
that at least trees may again be planted there,
but without avail, and although we may have
been heavily taxed for the very Improvements
now wanting on said Eighth street southeast,
mat part OF Ii ls not even Included In the Com
mlssioners' estimate for necessary street i'm
nrovements, aggregattng, as aforesaid, moro
lnhn TWO ana n malt millions OF dollars,
From this turn TO the northwest. In 1874,
when the Commissioners government for this
District was established, squares 15o and 1856
were without any improvements, and to this
day on one OF them no building ever stood.
They are located IN tho centre of au area of
more than ono hundred acres, streets In
cluded, embracing sixteen squares bounded
by Sixteenth and Nineteenth streets and
and streets northwest. At that date six OF
these squares, including said numbers 155
and l0O, contained no taxable improvements,
Inn aEIas anna oil lIE,H
sixteen squares averaged less than one thou
sand dollars 10 the acre.
Sirce 1873 several new street improvements
have been made through said squares-Over a
marshy, unimproved common-at public eX-
pense. That ON New Hampshire avenue, from
Otto 7 streets,with new roadway and brick side
walks, cost the Public Treasury moro than Sl5,
coo although for stretch Of nearly half mile
there was then, and is now, no building of any
kind whatever Within the last three or four
years so trees have been planted around said
squares Nos. 100 and 1876, and nicely boxed
and protected, at public expense.
More than sixteen hundred running feet OF
siS-inch granite curbstone, costing twice as
much as the curbstone in general use in this
city, and paid for out of last years approprla-
ton, have been set along the line of said
squares on Q street, between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth, where no building of
any Kind ever stood. And more than
twelve hundred llneal feet of said
expensive granite curbStone paid for out of
the appropriation for 1882 still remain buried
on the north and west sides OF said square
JOG without even an accompanying sidewalk
and, OF course, of no public benefit whatever
And what renders 1T moro significant and re.
markable, said squares are understood to be
owned by millionaire and to be held for
speculation.
instance these cases merely as samples,
without offensive purpose, without personal
Application, and without any controlling per-
sopal considerations. At my time of llfe l
would gladly avoid all further controversy,
but when see our friends subdued and dis
couraged IL not In despair, 1 am impelled
again TO ask the competent authority to ''dis-
avow these usurpatlons," and to correct &c.
cumulating wrongs and abuses so palpable
and oppressive.
And In conclusion, as In duty bound, hum.
bly, pray that Just and equitable proportion
OF the expenses of all street improvements In
this District from 1873 to this time, and
henceforward, be charged to the property es.
pecially benefited.
Then we shall have constantly accumulat-
Ing revenues and resources to extend needed
improvements throughout the District. As 1t
appears TO me In no other way can the bur-
dens and benefits Of our Government be hon
estly and equitably distributed.
Very respectfully submitted,
S. @. CLARKE.
No. 5O1 Stanton Place, Washington, D. c., Jan
uary 80. 1883.