Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-26
i LOCAL TOPIC.
SOME ACTUAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
STREET APPEARANCES.
The Rights of Property Owners to Use
the Walks and Streets for
Private Purposes.

The following conversations, taken note
of in a few hours by REcoRD-UEIoN rep
resentative, are given verbatim, and lack
accuracy only in the non use OF names.
THE FIRST CONVERSATION.
Two citizens on the corner of Second and
] streets, at D. o. Mills Bank
"Now YOU will please observe the build
inps on the north side of ] street, from
Third to Fourth.
eyes, they are good. but"
Certainly, there is no objection to them.
They are unobjectionable in all but this:
the fronts of some of them are only partly
seen"
aBy George, that is so. What fine
block that would be if the awnings were
only out OF the way"
"Well, you've hit it. But notice that
new building of the California State
Bank
al can't see it,"
"Can't see it? Surely you are mis-
taken"
"No, am not. The line of awnings
prevent"
That is just why 1 stopped you to talk
on this subject. | want to show you, who
have been doubtful about con6emnipg post
awnings, that they ruin fine block"
"But cannot there be balconies ?"
Certainly. No one objects to them, nor
to shelters from the sun. But suppose that
all the awnings from here to W. p. Cole
mans place were removed, and that one
remained, would you be able to see the
INK building?"
Yes, the roof
"True, and that only. So that you con-
fess a simple shed and post awning will
destroy the effect of street view of one of
the most beautiful buildings in the whole
country, but that four or six-foot balconies.
sufficient for any to come out on to get the
air, will not interfere"
Il confess it, and see that / have been
wrong. Yes, the awnings as they are
really do spoil the view for more than
block, and shut out the front of the bank
building
SECOND CONVERSATION,
Between a merchant and an awning oppo-
nent, Seventh and streets:
my property is for sale. I'm going to
sell OUT
Indeed What's the matter?"
''Why, this awning crusade. 1t is going
to drive out my second floor tenants"
"How so?n
sThey will not rent if they cannot have
the awning roofs to protect them from the
sun"
'But would not balconies be desirable
then to get the air, and would not shades
shelter the windows from the SUM-"
mo, sir. They want the whole porch,
clear over the sidewalk
"Oh they want to live out of doors in
part"
We'll, you see"
s'Oh, yes, l see have seen too much.
Now, what right have you to rent out the
sidewalk space?"
Il don't do it"
1'You do'
Il say donot. know what am talk
ing about"
$50 do l. say the sidewalk belongs to
the city, and the whole street width
~ pay for it."
That's so, but not for the space above.
If i had my way all walks should be paid
for by all the public but here in California
we've got different law. All the same,
your deed don't take in the sidewalk"
mo, but"
well, then, if you have no deed to it,
and can build second floor out to the edge
of the walk, and occupy it and roof it, you
can inclose it and live in 1t, and thus get 16
by 80 feet TO the lot of property you do not
own
well, its been so for all these years, and
IN this hot climate we need the open air.
THAT is so, and that is why the post
awnings ought to go. They obst. 1ct the
passage of the currents of air. Nov. look
here-here are people on your awnings lit
orally living on them. The ends are
party boarded up they have bins and cup
boar''s and all that sort on them, and"
''well, but"
''i}Jd on until l finish. Now, then,
Gan n on business streets where they
hay tchens built on them, wood houses,
and ven waterclosets."
20 bosh !"
''Fa and worse than that They do
wasE ;ag and hang it out on the awnings,
and in all respects gain an additional room
by their use."
"But the hot climate demands this shell
ter and space"
''It is hotter in New York 'o,day than
here; but do you suppose they d let their
streets be c!uttered up by such sheds? No.
siri"
"Well. you don't own any pre-, erty."
That is true; but does that disqualify
me to judge of what is good taste"
NO. / meant no offense but property
owners"
'oh, bosh l am property owner.
have property in the street iust as much as
you have, and ! have right to see that
you should not occupy sixteen feet of it on
this side, thai man opposite sixteen feet
there, and thus cut my street down to
forty-eight feet. That's the truth cut down
20 the quick
''oh, we'll You are"
Yes, | am preiudiced = prejudiced
against the city of my home being made a
Mexican town. with the second floors stick
ing out into the road"
THIRD CONVERSATION.
Corner of Sixteenth and n street. be.
tween two properiy-owners.
But it's the custom"
That don't make II right If the people
want to change it,
"oh, of conrse not; but it is big con-
vepienee."
May be II is, and may be it isn't"
How so 2"
"See here: Suppose you put up a post
awning in front of your residence on n
street, block or two below here?''
it"Yes, might DO it,
And run it out to the edge of the
walk
Couldn't do it if did not
No. Well. now you want to sit out
there with the wife and kids o. warm
evenings
Yes, guess So"
Then you have right to put roof
over it 10 keep off the rain"
''0f course
Now, what is there to prevent your
closing up the sides to keep out the cold
of winter ?''
Nothing know of"
Well, then, you just build an addition
out into the air supported on posts"
That's about the size o it."
What do you think the neighbors each
side OF you would say to that shutting off
their view and air p
Guess they'd raise hell ?n
1ou bet they would. But don't you
see that You' We got as much ripht To do that