The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-09
NO. 2

the property abutting, one-fourth for each
side. There is a further provision for
! bidding the Courts to grant injunctions
restraining such work OF course the gen
eFalpublic are delighted with the hand
/ some new payements, and there is doubt
less some advance in values since the i'm
provements have been made, but wall
has gone up from the property
which it is hoped will reach the ears of
the powers that be and procure them some
relief. The Council has not yet, so far as
heard from, assessed any one with the
twhole expense of an Improvement, but
deem themselves very moderate in re-
! quiring generally the adjacent owners to
pay one-fourtll for each side. This makes
a startling bill whensone owns property on
but one side of the street, and in cases
whore a citizen is so unlueky as to have
land on both sides of one of the improved
highways he feels disposed to run away,
lor present hispreperty tothe CITY Fathers,
meekly requesting them to keep it and
pay expenses, thus giving him chance to
! support his family.
1t is very generally believed that such
| regulations as the new charter imposes are
unjust and that the legislature exceeded
| its powers in thus vesting the Council
with authority. Several test cases have
been arranged on the ground Of unconsti-
nationality of such laws and the citizens
look with deep interest to the issue of the
suits.
Their complaint states that their grieY-
| ances are heavy, the Council can by a
three-fourths vote improve ahighway, and
charge the cost at its pleasure to them,
then the city assessor comes along and as
sesses the property at the value conferred
by the improvement, and the taxes are at
once increased, thus compelling them to
pay twice for the same improvement, the
amount in some cases greatly exceeding
the increased value of the property.
ssThe book of City Laws, a volume but
little known OF sought for until this sub
ject gave its pages absorbing interest to
property holders, states that In October
1855, the Virginia Legislature vested in
certain trustees forty-ive acres Of land
belonging to John Lynch lying contiguous
to Lynch's Ferry, and the land was sold in
half-acre lots at an average price Of $50
in:the currency of that day.
AS the centennial year Of the city thus
founded by the Irish Quaker will be 1886,
it has been decided to celebrate the occa-
sion with due ceremonies, and Lynchburg-
ers begin to look up relics and prepare for
the anniversary. a citizen of Chicago
or other western towns, the sites of
which were in primeval forest when
Lynchburg was growing old, might look
scornfully at the town of to-day with its
twenty-odd Thousand people, laboriously
climbing the hills within mile of the old
ferry where the first house was built more
than century ago. But Lynchburg has
accomplished good deal, if she has gone
slowly in comparison with the mushroom
cities of the West. For one thing she has
furnished many prominent men who have
left their homes ON these rocky hills to
rise to the top in the communities where
they have found abiding place.
The war wrought havoc among the rich
slave holders and tobacconists of Lynch
burg, and such was the depreciation of
values after the revolution had shaken
society to its foundation, that some of the
lots for which John Lynch got ESQ 90
when he laid out his town would not have
brought much more than that-eighty
years afterwards. The Lynch family
were people of strong character, with
decided talent, rare in our restless and ex-
citable nation for holding on" A large
part of the original estate is still owned
by the heirs of the founder of the town,
who have always been noted for their
judicious management Of property. But
for the war they would probably have been
immensely rich, and as it is they are not in
danger of coming to want. A large dis
trict belonging to the estate lying in the
suburbs and assessed at very low rates,
long afforded a chronic subject for grum-
bling to adjacent land owners. 1t has
Deell bll6 pulICy VI tHO 1ttlnlly W oSll GuCA
lands slowly and let the town grow beyond
them, and story is told that after a lot is
sold by any of the Lynches from the
founder down, it requires almost death
struggle for him to sign the deed. Of late
years the representative of the family is a
Dung man of progressive ideas, who pos
sibly stimulated by the approaching re-
assessment of lands. and the prospect of
improved highways, has put large tract
of land on the market, dividing it into
lots, laying off streets, acting as his own
conveyancer, ETC., and q handsome subur-
ban town, which will have all the modern
Improvements, water plped into the
houses, the electric light, proximity to
street cars, ETC., is the result.
The loyalty of the citizens has been
quickened recently by the promise of a
commodious public building, the funds to
be furnished by Uncle Sam, and also by
the establishment Of the free delivery of
mails. Several of the carriers are colored
men who are generally popular with the
citizens. They are obliging, polite and
efficient and much regret would be felt by
those accustomed to their daily visits if
the Democratic ideas Of civil Service
Reform" should cause their displacement.
o. L.