The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-11-29
LEMON OR POLK.
THAT CHANsE OF NAME PROy0KEs
CONTROVERSY.

EDIToRs AARIBrrA JouRxAL-Dear
Sirs. have noticed in your last two is
sues communications relative to changing
the name of Lemon street to Polk street,
the one signed a'One who Objects the
other signed rOld Citizen. In the form
er am referred to as "one nonresident
abettor who owns only fifteen feet on this
said Lemon street; in the other | am re-
ferred to as . Nonresident owner with a
small frontage on Lemon street
Inasmuch as the nonresident absttor
or nonresident owner, whichever title
best fits him. does not fight or work be-
hind cover you will find his signature at
the bottom OF this article
If the two gentleman who hare written
the communications above referred to had
read my petition to tbs council they would
have avoided creating on the public mind
probably, an impression which should not
exist.
Lemon street, as it was formerly called,
is | believe less than 1000 feet in length
and only aboat 30 feet wide On an average
/ stated to the members of the council
that had already made arrangements for
extending this street 4O59 feet farther
westward and making it go feet vide
through the property own, and, if the
American doctrine that the majority
should rule be enforced. then it strikes
me that 4,O5S feet should outvote less than
1000 feet, even if everybody owning a
frontage of the 1000 feet objected, and I
am satisfied that oil of them do not object.
If the name of street fixes itself in per-
petuity in Marietta then Marietta pursues
different policy from that of any other
city in my knowledge But Marietta has
not applied this doctrine in the past, for
the present popular Kennesaw Avenue
was formerly known as Cassville street, if
my information is correct, and believe
other instances illustrating this point might
be given.
j stated to the members of the council
in my communication that was opening
several other streets and avenues parallel
to and crossing Polk street. At least two
of these avenues will be 100 feet in width,
and there viii not be single one less
than so feet in width.
have gone to the expenditure of many
hundreds Of dollars, in fact the amount
will run into the thousands, in grading
o<r n
the property.
have set aside for the pleasure and
health of the people Of Marietta, park
which is acres in extent Some of these
improvements are already made, others
will be made next spring, the only reason
for the delay being that the winter rains
would damage great deal of the results
of the work if it was done now.
The new streets will be named for the
generals who defended Marietta, shed their
blood for her, and in Gene raj Folks case
lost his life in her def, 80. Inasmuch as
General Polk was Bishop of the Episco-
pal church, and as the street whose name
is under controversy runs by the Episco-
pal church, by the Episcopal cemetery and
in the direction of Pine Mountain upon
which General Polk was killed, it struck
me that it would be very graceful tribute
to an illustrious man for Marietta to so
honor him.
/ will only add that the nonresident
abettor' who signs this communication
has not asked the city of Marietta to spend
one single dollar in the Improvements he
is making which will certainly increase the
value of taxable property and attract resi-
denters to her.
Under the circumstances, therefore, he
feels that it was a very small courtesy and
one which was not at all personal to him
that he asked the city council of Marietta
to grant in making only the request that
the name of a street.-the changed to that of
one of America illustrious men.
Yours very truly,
JOSEPH NJ Brown