Daily Republican., 1889-02-04
CITY LEGISLATION.
TENTH STREET TO BE
WipENED.
The City Council Passes Resolution IL,
Favor OF It-The Citizens Asso-
citation Also Agrees Upon
Some Legislation.

Trade to have Tenth street, from Market
to Tatnsll street, widened twenty-three
ieet. The following delegation from the
Board OF Trade also m with the City
Council and were given seats in the area
In front Of the presidents desk: l.. @.
Vandegriff, Hon. Charles b. Lore, Col.
Milo w, Locke, James L. Dsvou, II. 8.
Chris'y and Thomas Mitchell.
All the members Of Council were pres
ent except Messrs johnson, McCall, Nc
Men mia and Sawdon. On motion the
Ioll call OF members wa, dispensed with
TO prevent the usual charge OF a dollar g
meeting per member, as the meeting was
nndertt0od to be somewhat Informal,
Couucil being de Jared In readiness to 10
cetye any suggestions or matter touching
the object OF the meeting. Mr. Hawkins
offered and had read the following res oiu-
tion:
Resolved, Thbt the Council of the city
of Wilmington believes the project now
In hand 10 widen Tenth street, from Mar.
Ret rect to Tatnall stIeet, would be
great convenience TO citizens OF vii.
ming on, and benefit TO the city.
| The chair statnR that the visiting
delep alton from the Board of Trade would
] Ike to be heard from upoi the question,
Lewis @. Vandeghit Eeq., arose and
gave number OF cogent re,sono why
Tenth street should be widenpd He
looked upon the sreet in it, prsent con-
dillon as great hinderauce aud bar TO
the improvements that would sprirg up
aiong the street II 1t were widened II
should be widened II but 10 .ouduce to
tho b auty and 'gularity OF our streets
without taking into cons deration other
advantages that would arise, such as
the convenience to travel aud the In
crease ofproperty in that part of the city.
Twenty-three fett, Re thought, could be
taken iIom the trout of the propeItie
along the upper side OF the street and the
balance lett would be worth more by the
change than in 8 present condition. Mr..
Vandegrift then went into question OF
cost, for that he presumed was this mais
issue He looked upon the HArkness
building and the Friendship Engine
House as the greatest obstacles iu the
way.
Even with these and including the Bay
lie building two frame houses belonging
to the Fighter estate, the Old Foundry,
now In q course Of litigation, the three
brick houses at the ctrner Of Tenth aud
Orange streets, the two stone buildings
setting bach, another brick house, bul-
locks blacksmith shops, the burnt Acad-
amy of Music and the marble yard, the
cost he did not think would exceed S75,'
600, probably not $50, 600.
Mr.. Vandegriit thought that the In
creased taxes from the property alter The
street WAS wideued would soon wipe on
the expense Of widening II. re referred
TO the widening OF Ninth street a few
years ago at Market street as an illustra
ton OF the benefits that would arise FROM
widening Tenth street Then there wAt
but liLIle drug store on the corner o
Ninth and Market. Mr.. Lore bought the
property and erected his beautiful law
buildings upon it, which now pays TO th,
city iour times the amount OF taxes tina
were received before. Mr.. L ore woult
never have built there had the street re
mainId narrow. II tho City Council
were per-. .nally the owners of the citl
everything possible would be done Il
beauiify the city, for the purpose OF max
ing IL more attractive and more Yalu
able.
lie belieyed d the City Council had the
? interests of the city at at heart, and In
. tended TO con luct the business OF th'
city on business principles. He though
It weuld be best 10 pay CH this deb
incurred as soon as possible by the lew
of email increase In taxes. He had NJ
personal interest In the matter, as he haC
very little property, and that was so re
mote distance as not to be affected
But he knew what great Inconvenience
and bar this narrow street was to trave
out the avenue and all the western par
OF the city, and he was exceedingly anX
ious that tie distractions should be re
moved.
Mr.. Lore being called upon for hi
views said that the Citizens association
and Board OF Trade have come TO th,
: City Council because the people have pu
power iuto their hands, and 1t is bu
lifting that they should be asked wha
legislation would be beneficial to tn,
city In their view. There is a consensus
of opinion however, that Tenth stree
might be w.dened. BE referred to III,
action OF Boss Sheppard in the time o
President Grant, remodeling the street.
of Washington, which has made 1t tn,
most beautiful city ~ the world.
, At that time there were many wht
] thought they would be ruined by higl
/, taxation but the result was that property
J almost Immediately doubled aud thrib
: bled In value what 1t was before Mr.
Lore then vividly described the grea
y trouble and danger In carriages passing
n along Tenth street. Visitors to the Cit
. take the street cars and come up Marke
street, wide avenue of commanding az
pearsnce, stretching out over the Brandy
' wife to the hills beyond. They come al
: TO Fourth street and they look Esst dow
q broad avenue TO the Delaware river auC
D W,st, as far as the eye can carry. Blu
when they come up 10 Tenth street, the!
are suddenly whirled around into darl
narrow street with one railroad track
several rickety he uses, the old abandoned
foundry, the burnt Academy Of Must
until all the pleasing thoughts of beau
tiful city leave the mind, before Delaware
avenue is reached and q more pleasan
| sight Rreets the eye.
> Put tweuty-three feet more to 1t an'
1t will make thoroughfare of which tn
city may we'll be proud. The improve
ment can be done to-day cheaper than a
any other time. The widening of Tent
street had become a business necessity
He had not met man In Council or ou
: of IL who did not admit that Tenth stree
should he wIdened. He sincerely hopet
that the City Council would approve 0
the project to make Tenth street a good
broad, Wilmington-like avenue, 10
Wilmington-like means lrogress.
James L. Devou said be agreed per
iectly with the speakers who prect de'
him. He could testify TO the danger
passing along Tenth street in carriages
Carriaees often turn out Eleventh
"a Ninth street. at considerable inconven
~ irnte TO avoid the crash on Tenth street
,e ae He referred to the large travel from Rid
I. dies. Bsncroit's, DuPont's and ethe
as large manufactures in the western par
= of the city that comes down the avenue
aud out Tenth street, hough not larg
| -. M q. Raiirnad had hrannF