Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-11
The Calvert aud the Grade.
To he Editor of 0e Dispatch:

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To he Editor Of Ge Dispatch;
Please let my voice through your very
impartial paper reach the City Council and
Colonel Cutshaw. / am one of those I'M
fortunate jewellers on Main near Madison,
and have suffered from the deluge twice.
The first time il was not exactly the city's
fault. as no obstruction TO the water had
been known until then TO exist. But the
last deluge was clearly the city's fault, for
a culyert should have at once been con-
structed of sufficient power TO carry the
water OFF. In between these two lnunda-
tons the property had been reassessed
and taxed much higher, saying IL had In
creased in value. IL was hard to pay the
increased taxes, but we had IL to
do. and consoled ourselves with,
Well, the property is more valu-
able,n and then came the last
food, filling cellars with sinking, muddy
water, and tearing away doors and win
~dow-shutters and breaking windows out
in its onward sweep and washing the un-
der-pillars from porches and leaving them
TO settle dangerously aslant and oblique.
And then when the waters were dried up,
with hearts sick with trouble and the
odious smells around us. we cleaned up
andmadef for ourselves homes again, feeling
how transitory they might be, for a food
might come again tomorrow. But in this
our sorrow and heavy loss the city fathers
have given US no help or sympathy. The
culvert should be fixed at once, without a
moments delay. But instead of q large
culvert being put in at once Colonel Gut
shaw speaks of putting four feet of earth
all along from somewhere TO somewhere
else, l don't know where. i only know
that four feet of earth will close my front
doors up and block my parlor windows up,
and when the Hood comes again the four
feet of earth will lift it to my second story.
Hsop tells us a country fellow once lost d
bullock, and he prayed to Jove and vowed
If he was permitted to find the thief he
would sacrifice q bullock TO Jove. In a
day or so he found a lion eating his bull
lock. and in his fright be vowed if Joye
would only let him get safe away he would
give Jove another bullock. Now, If Colo
mel Cutshaw will only let us of with that
four feet of earth, we much prefer the
water winch comes only once a year. L
have a plan to propose 10 the City Council
which | think will suit ell parties. Let
the city buy all the property at ITS as
sessed value on Main between Madison
and as high as Colonel Cutshaw thinks he
should carry a levelling hand. and then
pull all the houses down to the ground.
and tell Colonel Cutshaw to 90 20
work and show the city what he
can do. And then when IL is all made
as level as a grand chess-board, let the
city build two lovely rows of modern bay
Widowed houses on each side OF Main
leading up to the park. 1t would be beau
titul and grandly ornamental. The city
could rent the houses at q good price. or
sell them either, and in a very short time
have made a pot of money upon the specu-
lation. Ii is a bad matter as II stands.
The city is treating US with great injustice
and neglect. Our homes are being con-
stantiy desolated by water IN all its horrid
impurity from streets aud sewers. We
can't sell our property aud neither can We
rent il; yet the taxes must be paid aud Ie-
pairs kept up amid the continual looking
forward TO another deluge. In that row
on the south side of Main, to my certain
knowledge. the peoole had no means of
cooking even for several days after the last
food. Let Us have a culyert, l entreat, at
once, aud large enough TO drive q wagon
and two Normandy horses through.
A TAx-PAYER.