The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-21
THE JEFFERSON Hill.
Mr.. Beriah Browns Objection
to the Steep Grade.
N WOULD WRECK ms HOME.
The Agsa Fseaesr sessisd - Prspsrsy
In Ne Wilderness. Never Dreaming
- Raineus Excsvasisna.


conditions and merits Of the contest
between Mrs Brown and the city
council in relation 70 the grading OF Jefler-
son street between Eighth and Ninth
streets. considerations involving the sole
source Of subsistence to my wife and self
IN helpless age. - well - public policy.
impei me 10 the irksome task. long since
abandoned. Of writing for publication.
The property sought to be wrecked for the
possible benefit Of tax-title operator who
seeks his opportunities in the distresses Of
his neiehbors, has been our home for sew
enteen years, beginning when IL Was .
wilderness. and ours the only family resi-
dence upon the plateau above Seventh
street east, north or south from it. These
lots were selected by Mrs. Brown. together
with the adjoinine block upon which the
courthouse h nOu being bsilt, on the orig
inal Terry plat, because OF their slightly
position. the residence lots being on the
crown Of the hill. upon comparatively level
ground in every direction. with bluff front
on seventh stTeetfacing the harbor and over
looking the entire water front and business
portion Of Ne town. This plateau il &C.
cessible BY cosy grade from seventh street.
only one block on either side OF Jefferson :
on the north by James street. already
graded. and on which charter is granted
for q cable road; on the south by Terrace
street. with scarcely perceptible elevation
between Seventh and Ninth streets, which
10 being graded to level with Seventh to
conform to the courthouse block. With
accessible driveways from Seventh to
Ninth streets. only eighty yards distant on
either side. one Of which must necessarily
1uov a. H.. ID
seventh. there being only stair access to
Seventh on Jefferson from the west, the or
dinauce for the grading Of jefferson and
the contract which ante-dates the ordin-
ance three days. calls for . cut OF over
Seventeen feet between Seventh and
Eighth, on an elevation OF seventeen
feet to the hundred, which would
be utterly impracticable IS q wagon-way
and useless for any other purpose, At an
extra expense to the taxpayers Of the dis
trict OF 5000. Is reported by the city sur
veyor. and damages to private property to
ten times that amount, without single
benefit to any person yet pointed out. or =
single person on record - approving II ex-
cept the originator Vi the scheme and his
pais in the city council.
From our first settlement upon the
premises until this late surrepti tious at-
tempt, We never had an intimation from
any quarter or person interested in the
welfare of the town that any such imprac-
ticable and unnecessary cut would ever b
dsnAudsd ~ any psopssty-hoadsts intsr-
ested, and never dreamed that city cour-
Gil could ever exist that would consent
unanimously to the preparation Of such .
manifest and uncalled-for outrage upon
property rights. ct the sole instance OF one
member, unsupported by single petition
or other application of record. Every heir
Of tho Terry estate, including the wiIs Of
the city surveyor; every pr0perty-holder
upon the street, both above and below the
proposed cut: every disintcrssted person
from whom We have heard any expression.
including scores Of the most prominent
men of the city. have. with scarcely an
exception, characterized this attempted cut
Is IAN Infamous outrage OF . like char
acter with several others Of less conse-
quence perpetrated up0n the council
by the same member, notably the
largo sums uniawfully distracted from the
city treasury under his Endorsement in the
name Of the city physician TO whom he had
sold speculative real estate, the member
who fed from his seat in the council under
the unanswered charge CT n fellow member
OF lying, and sent in his resignation to
avoid explanation, the member answer
ing to the name OF Uriah Niesx, whose
descriptive pasronymic would be .Uriah
Heep."
In 1878 sidewalk was constructed under
city ordinance on jefferson street. connect
ing by stairs from Sixth street across
Seventh to the alley upon which Uriali's
house juts, and the portion Of the public
street there occupied by stairs in front OF
his residence, is now fenced into his private
grounds on that small portion OF his lot on
the corner Of Seventh ana Jefferson, which
he has improved, and will have to he sur
rendered when the stairs are renewed. as
the present Improvement below Seventh
contempiates. Hence his objection to
stairs past his premises.
: With the generally expressed public SEN
timent, and the reasonable ass urance that
no street grade would ever be ordered in
accordance with the charter. which pre-
scribes the manner OF procuring such
ordinances, first. by petition Of majority
OF the taxpayers of the district sought to
be improved, or, as an alternative when
public convenience or necessity manifestiy
required the improvement. the majority
petitions might be dispensed with and the
ordinance passed by unanimous vote OF
the council, approved by the mayor. As
neither OF these conditions could possibly
attach to this property by any honest rule.
no prudent person deemed that there
would be any risk i'm investing In improve
ments such - the grade now proposed
would necessarily destroy or materially
H. ri
I was entirely disabled from further effort
by ply steal infirmty added 10 the weight
OF years. the faithful wife gathered in all
our resources and available effects which,
together with q loan of s., 90. was invested
IN houses which yielded q rental of over
s26D month. and we're much sought for by
q good class Of tenants on account of their
very p.essan: situation and commanding
outlook and perfectly easy access from
Eighth and Ninth streets by carriage ways
OF ~ Seventh street by . fight of stairs.
This property. including the portion OF
ground nos fully built over, was reasonably
valued 1T $40 90. al access 10 which would
be cut of By tails cut. which would have 10
be followed by corresponding cut al
thecsossine OF jefferson street Uriah Siesz.
as . wrecker by vocation, calculated
well that with the rents cut Oh. the most
valuable houses exposed 10 imminent de-
strucsion by the casing OF the graveliy
banks, cut but = few feet from their front,
without . very great expense in brxcing
and bulkheading. which. under the Grip
uled condition Of the property. could not be
raised on second mortgage. leaving our
whole estate aud entire resources a. the
mercy OF the wrecksrs. In bringing about
a..