The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-26
The Meyer Heirs Generously Donate Him
the TuscaraWas Street Site,
Which Mr.. Dueber Accepts, and Says Cam
ton VIII Never Rue the Investment
Work to Begin at Once--Im-
provements of the
Meyer Land.

the Meyer heirs was not q proper place
upon which to locate the shops. Mr..
Dueber had selected the land adjacent
to TuscaTawas street, and this meeting
was called to allow the attorney Of the
Meyer heirs to make proposition, mod
ified by certain conditions, to the Board
Of Trade. TET
Austin Lynch, ESQ, attorney for the
Meyer estate, stated that the twenty
acres originally donated we're valued at
$1,000 and that the site desired by Mr..
Dueber was worth $4,000. In other
words the Meyer heirs were asked to In
crease their donation $4,000. This
they thought was more than their share,
but they were willing to make a propo-
sitiOn, with certain stipulatiOns, to the
Board of Trade. Mr. Lynch then read
the following document, submitted by
the Meyer family:
PROPOSITION OF THE MEYER HEIRS.
CANTON, o., Aug 20, 1886
TO THE BOARD OF TRADE:
GENTLEMEN-W have been asked to
donate to the DUeber Watch Case Manu-
featuring Company tract Of land COOK
400 feet out of The Meyer lands and sit
uated Immediately on the south side Of
West TuscaraWas street, AS Is we'll
known, we heretofore offered tract of
70 acres located 1900 feet south from
that street and understood that the site
was acceptable to the parties interested;
but we are now advised that 1t will not
answer their purposes.
We think that our first offer was fair
and Liberal on our part and when we are
asked by the citizens to furnish the
land on TuscaTawas street, which Is
worth two or three times what the other
tract Is, without compensation, we are
satisfied that we are asked to do more
than our share In this enterprise. We
do not believe that In pecuniary sense
we would be justified in Offering this
tract of land.
When this matter was first brought to
the attention of the people Of Canton
we understood that Mr.. Dueber's prefer
ence was for the land on Tuscarawas
street and 1t was understood at the time
hat the Meyer heirs would not be ex
pected TO GIVE the land for NOTHING,
bat to sell 1t for low price.
1t seems impossible, however, to raise
any more funds for the purpose Of meet
ing MIR. Dueber's proposition, and II
looks as II the enterprise might fail un.
less this land Is given free of charge
This affair has become one Of great pub.
lie Importance and interest, and looking
upon 1t In that light we have concluded
that, upon the title to the land In cues.
tion being secured to us through the
proceedings In court, we will donate II
to the Dueber Company, but only upon
certain conditions hereinafter stated
and to be used by the Company as the
site for Its watch and watch case facto
ries.
1t is our Intention to lay out upon all
or q part Of the Meyer farm an addition
to the city and hope that by O sale of lots
we may be reCOmDensed to certain ex
tent for our donation. In order to car
ry out our plan successfully II Is neces
sary that the city authorities should
hereafter make certain improvements
to bring our land into the market and
make 1t saleRble.
1t is clear that this land matter must
be decided at once and therefore sufi-
cient time cannot be given us to have
these points made absolutely safe and
certain, but the least we can ask is that
the members OF the Board Of Trade will
pledge themselves in proper form to
see tnat our requests and conditions
will hereafter be complied with; our
conditions are entirely reasonable and
we trust that this Influence of the MEM
beTs of the Board and the city officials
| Will at the proper time be exerted in
| our behalf and procure for us that
which We are certainly entitled TO.
To be more explicit In the matter we
will state briefly the conditions above
referred to: There should be q street
opened across the Union Dam property
and q substantial bridge for it placed
| across the creek just south Of the Duebsr
works, and another similar street and
bridge down toward the south end Of
the Meyer lands; In plating the lands
/ TWO or three avenues will be laid out
| leading from IUsCaFaWas street TO the
p, Fl, " & Q, Z. Il. through our Hands
two OF these should Oe extended
across the railroad to Navarro street.
The first street and bridge mentioned
| and Que of these avenues should be estGb
lished and graded and put In proper
shape by the city authorities in the
early part of next year, and the other
street, bridge and avenue established
and placed in proper condition by grad
ing, ETC., at such reasonable time there
after as we may ask.
1t will be necessary also that street
lights and water mains should be located
through the lands as soon as there is
any demand therefor. And generally
speaking, we will expect from the city
and Its authorities liberal and generous
treatment In the matter Of improve
ments.
Another matter In which we should
have protection Is the valuation of our
lands for the purpose Of taxation. So
long as the land Is held by US for the
purposes Of sale, or is used merely for
farming purposes Its valuation upon the
tax duplicate should not be changed by
the Board of Equalization or otherwise,
because we will be unable to realize
sufficient income from the uns0ld part
of the land to pay the taxes, and posi-
bly, no income whatever.
The above offer is made upon the fore
going conditions and we rely upon the
good faith of the members Of the Board
and the citizens generally to see that
these conditions are carried out, and II
thought they would not be, this propo.
sition would not be made.
Respectfully submitted,
ELIZABETH 0. BLAKE,
EDWARD j. MEYER,
CELESTE MEYER,
GEORGE W. MEYER,
HARRY q. MEYER.
BY Austin Lynch, their Attorney.
After Mr.. Lynch concluded reading,
Secretary Henry W. Harter, Of the Board