The record-union., 1892-08-18
MORE ABOUT TEE LEFEES.
The Citizens Committee Appear Be-
fore the City Trustees Again.
what the southern Pacific Company
VIII Do-Arguments Against
Further Delay.


noon for the purpose of further consider
ing the proposition to improve the city's
leyee system.
All the members were present, as were
also number of prominent property
owners and citizens.
ID. Weinstock presented to the board
the following communication, received
from a. n. Towne, General Manager of
the Southern Pacific Company:
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, August 1G, 1892.
AeSSTS. Green, B0gtd, Coleman, HcCdfcly,
sacramento Leuee Committee, SacrabEe2to cal
goTRta-GENTLEMEN: Pursuant to our re-
cent interview, ] have to say the short time
given Us ia which TO consider the very impor-
tant question of further protecting the city of
Sacramento against high water IS hardly SUI
nclent to enable us to take up the question
unGerstandingly in every detail but as we de-
sire 10 act in Consonance with your wishes in
every respect toward making what you regard
as much needed improvement, we have
made as careful an estimate as possible under
The circumstances, and hereunder give you
our conclusions,
Rather than put the city to the expense of
raising so many OF our sheppard tracks as
would otherwise be necessary, we have con-
celved the idea of putting the proposed levee
just outside of and adjoining the present levee.
as shown on blue print herewith raising il to
the required hight of five feet This viii cost
less tnan TO raise the track above the bridge
as will be necessary below the bridge line
w e VIII tnueaNOf 10 continue the night OF
nVe feet TO the vicinity OF ] street, notwith-
standing the fact that il will raise our tracks
up higher than we would like in order TO ex-
peditlously handle our work. However, we
VIII do the best we can with it.
1t is impracticable to hold up to the five
leeJ line south OF l street, unless Front street
should also be raised, together with all our
grounds, freight sheds, etc. but we are dis
posed 10 accept the threefeet raise making
the grade that full hight along the river bank
from to h streets, sloping it back and plac-
ing our tracks thereon down toward the
westerly line of Front street. The portion of
the levee affected by this plan is included
WITHIN the red lines on blue print herewith
Between Seventh street on one side and r
street on the other, the Southern Pacific Com
pany will undertake to do the earth work at
the same rate per yard for which your con-
tractors do the remainder of the leyee work
or we Will allow them to do it, if il is your
wish, and will work in harmony with them
raising the tracks with our own forces as the
work progresses, charging the city only the
actual cost for such work
10 hetter enable you to arrive at the neceS-
sary amount of bonds to be issued in addi-
ton to what you have already calculated
upon, II is safe TO say that the work outlined
nereln between Seventh street on one side and
II street on the other can all be done for not
more than $4,000. Yours, truly,
A. Il, TowNE
THE MAYOR FINDS FAULT.
Mayor Comstock called attention to the
fact that the communication was not adj
dressed to the Board of Trustees, and said
1t was hardly proper thing to consider.
Mr.. Welnstock then addressed the
board, saying he did not suppose the
Trustees, nor was the committee prepared
to say that the railroad company was cor
rect in its position. He did not think
that the question should be discussed at
this time-not until legal advice had been
received. The matter that should be at
tended to right away, though, was the is
suance OF bonds TO improve the Ievees.
On behalf OF the committee he asked that
the board proceed at once and publish it's
first notice of intention to- There was q
feeling Of uneasinesS among the property
owners that should be set at rest at once.
Frank Miller said he hoped the board
would not delay. Something had to be
done, and that right away. The resolu-
tlon OF intention should be published
right away.
Captain T. B. Hail indorsed what had
been said by Messrs. Weinstocl and
Miller. He hoped, though, that a raise of
1--WE feet IN the levees would be ordered
The raise should be uniform. The board
could rely upon the citizens for assistance
in any capacity they might designate.
The issuance of bonds should take place
as soon as possible, so that the work
should be commenced this year. People
who own property here and had the well
fare of the city at heart as well were of
one mind, and that was that the proposed
work was absolutely necessary.
WAS FOR INFORMATION.
J. Q. Coleman explained why the COM
municatIOn rom the railroad company
was not addressed to the board. The COM
mittee had gone before a. y. Towne for
the purpose Of ascertaining what the
company would do. They did not 90
there as representatives OF the Trustees,
and in compliance with their request Mr.
Iowne sent the communication Just read
1t was intended for the information of the
board as well as for the committee. The
communication was in accordance with
Mr.. IoWne'S reputation for being frank
and explicit. and saying what he means.
Trustee Conklin said he was not salts
ned with the communication. He ex-
peCted that il would be addressed to the
board, and that the board would have
something to rely upon. 1t was apparent
to him, he said, that the railroad company
did not intend TO pay for the work along
Front street.
MADE NO DIFFERENCE.
Mr.. Weinstock SAID it made no differ
ence what the railroad company intended
do. The work should go ahead any
way. Somebody, of course, had to pay
for the fc--rOad's part of the work, but 1t
was no time now to stop and lind out
All the board had to do in the case was to
give the people chance to say whether
or not they wanted the bonds issued
There was no responsibility to be Saddied
election would be trifiing, as public
spirited citizens had volunteered their
services at the polls free of charge There
was little TO be lost and much to be
gained.
y. $. McClatchy said Mr.. Towne in
tended to base the railroad company's
intentions on its legal rights. II the law
did not compel the company to pay for
the work it was not going to pay for it.
There was no doubt as to what the COM
pany's intentions were, and he thought it
would be useless to delay further on that
account.
Mayor Comstock said the report was
great disappointment. He had been
given TO understand that the company
was going to raise Front street of its own
accord.
Mr.. Coleman said they had no right to
expect the company TO do more than the
law required it to do. The committee
had been misled by some of the COM
pany's representatives, but heretofore
had received no definite information from
headquarters.
COULD DO IT THEMSELVES.
Mayor Comstock seemed to think that
II the Board of Trustees were let alone
tney could accomplish the work eventu-
ally. Mr.. Conklin thought so, too.
Senator Dray, in reply, said Trus-
tees should not complain of the interest
taken by the citizens in the welfare of
thelr clty or IN their property. The citi-
zens mad realized that the ieYee fund was
exhausted and had come forward TO assist
the board. Surveys had been made, and
estimates as well, and everything was
ready to go ahead with the work. He
wanted 1t understood, though. that the
proposition of leyeeing Thirty first street,
as impractical.
Trustee Conklin said he would not pro-
ceed on the communication from Nr.