The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-14
LAB0RING LANDLORDS.
THEY BEsET THE BOARD OF EQUAL
IzATIoN WITH PETITIONS.
strenuously They Object to Increased
Assessm snts Upon Their Property
some Funny Scenes and Incidents
Slow Progress.

1t seems on this score they have 'ullv
retained quantum suflicit of the spirit
which prompt, d their forefathers some
thing over 100 yei Is ago to throw certain
packages OF tea overheard in Boston
harbor.
At any event, such would be tn i'm
preston made on the mind oil Il non.tax-
payer after spending an hour at a meeting
OF the equalization board, now in session
in the county court room.
The members of the board are all earn
est, Woodworking gentlemen, and evidently
doing their best to do their duty TO the
county and TO the State. They exercise
the utmost patience, in fact, too much for
the stupendous task before them in the
limited time they have to perform it.
There is constant crowd Of people in the
room all the time, and each one wants TO
have him or herself 'equaized" at once.
The crowd is mixed one of men and
women. Now and then some muscular
land-hoder will vehemently demand that
he has been imposed upon, and as q citizen
and voter he wants 10 be righted. Then
wrangle will ensue, and after q relative
comparison is made OF his property with
that of his neighbors, the board will re-
!. fuse TO allow his request, and the irate
landowner, with "a dozen damns" on his
tongue for every member OF the blarsted
board, will so his way in disgust.
The ladies are the most persistent, and
generally succeed in getting reduction OF
few hundreds. All Of them start of with
comparison OF their assessment Of year
or more ago, and cant see to save their
lives how on earth such q glaring mistake
hot 10 tra
Powell gets wrathy, and cracking his
knuckles violently against the desk says in
Iavage tones, 81 don't care IL your prop
rrty was assessed at but dime last year,
madam. This is new law, one for
The benefit OF the people. More than this,
madam, this board did not make this as
sessment. There is the man; (pointing
at assessor SMITH jump on him."
The complaints are rs general thing
made through petition, and presented by
the petitioner, who follows il up by a
plaintive wall 10 be delivered from the
onerous burdens about to be imposed upon
him.
Some OF the petitions are drawn by at
torneys, who back them up by arguments
why they should be allowed, but the ma
jority OF them are written by the
owners Of the property. They are
all the way from the length
OF bill in chancery TO pos
tai cord. Some Of them are quite ludi-
crous. One was read from a lady residing
in the Fifth ward, the owner Of two lots
which had been assessed at 5000. II
read like this Honorable sirs, am
willing to go before any magistrate or
Judge on earth and swear that my prop.
erty is not worth $1,000. IL cannot be-
lat Cell al
one Of the lots is flat in the bayou,
the other is cut half in two by the
bayou, and the house is not only
forty years old, but is all TO pieces
nearly, falling down into the bayou,
and win soon be washed away just rs the
lot is already nearly washed away. i
tell you, honorable sirs, that my lots are
not worth 5000. | am a poor widder
woman who has worked hard for those
lots, and pray that you will not assess
them at but y, 0O0."
Some one had written the petition, as
the petitioner had name her mark between
the signature, and had attested IL before a
usiice Of the peace.
Another lady, Fat, buxom, handsome
widow Of decidedly Irish extraction, had
Two lots that had been assessed at $500,
on which she had two houses, for which
she received $40 month rent. She came
in person. The property never had been
assessed for over II 900 and the increase
Ia taxes would take all the rent. She APP
pealed 10 the board 10 reduce II just 500,
Il no more. They were resolute, and
would not dose.
Then said she in a pitiiui voice. Gen.
tlemen, I've paid for that property with
hard-carned nickles, and YOU, in the name
Of the law, are now going 90 rob a poor
widow out OF the fruits Of her toll. Oh,
gentlemen, IL Is a shame"
Squire Haynes-Did you say You are q
widow. MADAME
eyes, sir, am. Please reduce the as
Hessment."
Squire Powell-Madam, will you take
g., 500 for that property. II you will, vii
get you purchaser inside OF an hour2
"No, SIR she half sobbod, 'it is not
for sale. II Is all have"
Squire llaynes-Thats right; keep T.
for good looking young widow like you
with two lots, is liable to marry anybody
thc chooses.
This seemed 10 tickle her awiully, ant
she half smilingly challenged the squir,
10 guess how old she was. He guesscc
twenty-seyen years, and then she die
laugh. by this time she was in such I
good humor that she stunned the hoart
by boasingly SAYING "li any member o
this beard will gioss my age, III agree io
them 20 increase the assessment on ny
property a 600" Then the guessing be
gan. Not one come within fifteen year
OF her age. and when the guessing cease'
she said. III was fity.oight years old las
month, and I'm not ashamed 10 tell "
and don't want 10 get married, either.
She really does not look a year over thirty
The next petitioner was also lady. sh
contended that the reason that her prop
orty was not rs valuable as her neighbors
was because there were no improvement
on t.
"Are you a widow, too7" asked SOUR
Haynes.
Evidently with the Improvement idea ]
her mind, she stammoringly answered
81 was for twenty years; am marriednoN
but II wasn't any improvement
Everybody laughed and the boar
granted her petition.
One noticeable thing about all the pet
tons Il the unstinted way in which all ia
petitioners nearly berate their own prof
crty. Their houses are from forty 10 fiit
years old, actually crumbllng 10 pieces.
Said Squire Haynes after the reading I
number of such petitions, 81 don't b.
licye there Is a safe house in this city
live In. There Ia certainly the III
est field here for carpenters nm