Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-25
FIRST STREET.
Its Grade Still a MOOted
Question.
A Meeting of Property Owners
Yesterday.
They Unanimously Favor Grade of
One in Ten.
Those Present and the Property Repre-
sented-A Free Expression of Opin-
ion-Committee Appointed.

The matter Of the First-street grade
continues to agitate taxpayers of the
sections of the city which are involved.
An important meeting was held yester-
day afternoon at the rooms of the board
of trade, at which the following'were
present, representing the amount of
property set opposite their names: E.
F. Spence, 135 feet on Broadway; L. N.
Breed 80 feet on First; F. G. Howes,
60 feet on Spring by so on First, and 40
on Broadway by so on First; DIR. H. Sin
sabaugh, 80 on First, 120 on Hill;
A. M. Hough, 40 on Broadway, 3S on
First; P. Laronde, 26 on Spring, 146 on
First; J. H. Jones, 110 on Broadway,
461s on First; E. P. Miller, 35 on Broad
way, 40 on Spring; G. j. Fox, 65 on
Main, S21a on First R. Steere, S219 on
First; M. G. McKoon, 55 on First; d.
Schieck, 72 on Spring, 264 on Franklin;
L. Bixby, 14O on Hill, 225 on Court; E.
Germain, trustee, 1855 on First, ,65 on Broad
way I. Copley, ITO on Broadway; John
Bryson and G. H. Bonebrake, 120 on
Spring, 120 on Second DR.. d. Burbank, 80
on First. .55 on Broadway; M. L. Wicks,
$50 on First, 120 on Grand avenue; A.
G. Mappa, 60 on Franklin; +. Carpen-
ter, 35 on First.
Frank A. Gibson called the meeting
to order, and stated that the object was
to consider the proposition now before
the council for the changing of the
grade of First street. E. F. Spence was
made chairman and Mr.. Gibson sec
retary.
A. M. Hough said that to get the
question we'll before the meeting, he
would move that it be declared the
sense of the meeting that the grade
known as one in ten should be adopted
by the council as the official grade of
First street, between Broadway and
Pearl, and that the grade of one in
twenty, now under consideration by the
council, is impracticable. l.. N. Breed
seconded this motion.
Mr.. Hough said that he had changed
his mind several times since the matter
of the grade of First street had been
under discussion. At one time he had
favored deep cut. Now he had come
to regard this as quite impracticable. 1t
would cost $4,000 at least if not more
"a sum which was to come out of the
pockets of a limited number of tax
payers, and which some would find it
impossible to pay.
j. M. Quinn called attention to the
inequalities in the proposed method of
assessment for the improvement. The
deep cut he said was no better than a
tunnel, and would not be used even by
those who were demanding it. The cost,
however, was the worst factor, He ia
vored real improvements, but not reck-
less schemes like this one.
E. T. Wright was called upon, and
submitted profile from the city engi-
neer's office, showing the present line of
the street.
M. L. Wicks said: At one time de-
clared that l would not oppose any
grade which my neighbors would settle
upon, but since the estimates have been
made on the deep cut am convinced
that when the retaining walls are built it
will cost three-fourths of million of
dollars. The cut, when done, would be
blot on the face of the city, and the
work, however sadly it might fail of it's
purpose, could never be undone. should
like to see progress, but it must
be in the line of real improvement.
There is plenty of low land to be had,
let the beautiful hills alone to be used
for residence purposes. The whole mat
ter would finally wind up in the courts
and might not be settled during our
lifetime. The rights of property on the
side streets must be considered. We
had better satisfy ourselves with one
in ten grade. The natural outlet from
the Cahuenga district Is through Tenn
pie street.
Mr. Wright said that the one in ten
grade was probably the best compromise.
1t cut Olive street eleven feet on one
side and seven on the other. Grand
avenue and Bunker Hill were not much
above the proposed grade.
DR.. Sinsabaugh said that he was anx-
ious to see some sort of street through
or over the hill. The cost was the gray
est thing The one in twenty scheme
was quixotic and involved the confisca-
tion of property.
Mr.. Simonton, the agent of the Hol-
lenbeck estate, questioned the justice
and legality of taxing piece of property
Tor improvements on a street which it
did not adjoin. The people of Second
street wanted that street improved, but
ii they had to pay so much for First,
they could not afford it.
Mr.. Spence said that he favored i'm
provements but not confiscation of prop
erty. His idea was to send a committee
to the council to urge the adoption of a
one in ten grade.
Mr.. Hough's motion was carried unan-
imously, and he then moved that a
committee of five be appointed by the
chair to go before the council and ex-
press the sentiments of this meeting to
that body. This motion was carried,
and the following were appointed: A.
M. Hough, Frank A. Gibson, M. L.
Wicks, DR.. Hiram Sinsabaugh aud John
Bryson, Jr.
A meeting Of the Central Improve
ment Society was held last night on the
same subject. A full account will ap-
pear tomorrow.