Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21
ELEVENTH WARD MUD
Citizens Protest Against the Condi-
ti0n of California Avenue.
COUNCILS ARE ROUGHLY TREATED.
They Want Police and Fire Protection When
They Pay Taxes.
RED PAINT SCATTERED LITERALLY

The citizens of the Eleventh ward, Alle-
gheny, are stuck in the mud, and last night
IS of the voters held an indignation meet
ing in the Eleventh ward school house. The
audience represented two-thirds of the voters
of the ward. The principal cause of COM
plant was the condition of California ave-
nue. at Superior street, where fill of II feet
is being made. The mud there is so bad
that the streets are impossible, and the citl-
zens in that locality have to make detour
of about quarter of a mile in order to
reach their homes.
Of course they were mad. John D. Bailey
was called to the chair. and in taking it he
made a few remarks in which he ruff ed up
the feathers OF the city government for not
having the work finished.
Then Gilbert Follansbee took the cue and
the Councilmanic robes OF the citv athers
were torn in twain. He said the city
charged them the highest rate of taxation
and yet left them in condition where they
were practically out of the world. 1t was
impossible to reach their homes. Patrol
wagons could not get into that locality
and in case of fire the department would be
useless with the present condition Of the
streets. Besides this, sewers and drains are
torn up and left open, causing much sick
ness, which threatens to result in an epi-
demic.
ROASTING THE CONTRACTORS.
When Mr.. Follansbee retired the fight
was taken up by Thomas Keenan,, Sr.,
and when he finished only the shreds
of the Councilmanic robes were
left. He denounced the methods pursued
by the city in the grading of California
avenue as dilatory and improper. He said
the contractor had not even made an at
tempt to maintain roadway. Mr.. keenan,
was followed by number of others and
each address was roundly cheered.
Then set of resolutions were drawn up
to be presented to Councils. D. B. Oliver
objected, and said Councils ought to be
notified before such action was taken. Rob
ert McAfee and DIR. Joseph Laugfitt took
similar stand, while John r. Henricks
favored the resolution When the votes
were counted Messrs. Oliver, McAiee and
Langftt were alone in their glory.
The resolutions state that while the citi-
zens recognize the Improvements in the
grading OF California and Superior avenues,
they are suffering at present from serious
inconvenience from which they demand
immediate relie. The contractors have
made no effort to maintain a roadway, and
the recent rains have made the streets i'm
passable, thereby making impossible the
delivery of household goods and endanger-
ing property in case of fire.
LADIES UNABLE TO MAKE CALLS.
No effort has been made even to maintain
footway, and the lady residents are unable
to reach trains or electric cars. Former
sewer connections have been disturbed, and
present condition of these streets prevents
new connections being made, so that many
drains are uncovered and empty into the
open streets, thus already resulting in sick
ness, which threatens to develop into an epi-
demic.
The contract calls for the completion of
the work by October 1, but as this has been
rendered impossible by the delay, the
citizens ask '"That these streets be covered
with broken stone so as to allow free pass
age way Tor not only individuals and or
dinary vehicles, but also for the fire depart
ment and police patrol, for which protection
we are paying the highest rate of municipal
taxation"
The resolutions close as follows:
Resolved, That the copies of these 1esolu-
tions be sent to both branches of Councils to
the Road Committee, TO the City Engineer to
the Board of Health and the Association of
Fire Underwriters of Allegheny county.