Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-04
The RECORD BROKEN
}y the Enormous Number of
Assessment Appeals Filed
Yesterday From
Ill PARTS OF THE CITY.
State Supreme Justice Among
Those to Enter a Protest.
IIDICULING THE FIGURES GIVEN.
igorous Language Used in Some of the
Communications. :
he FEATURES OF A LENGTHY LIST
IDICULING THE FIGURES GIVEN.
'igorous Language Used in Some of the
Communications.
He FEATURES OF A LENGTHY LIST

ity Assessors Office More appeals were
lied than on any one day since the board
las been organized, and the bulk of them
we're from large property holders The
Third ward came in strong, and from pres
mt indications appeals will be hled On
very lot in it. The points raised by some
If the appellants in this ward are most in
eresting A large number of the holders Of
gTwenty-second ward and Ninteenth ward
properties were among yesterdays appel
ants, though space would only allow a
'eference to few of them. The Twelfth
yard had but few appeals, and, in fact, there
seems comparatively little dissatisfaction
here. The time for filing appeals from all
wards now in hand closes to-day, but it is
expected they will be coming in for several
lays to come.
The County Commissioners will probably
give Bob Lindsay the job of making the
;ountv assessment in the Fourteenth ward,
assisted by the two assistant assessors of the
ward. By this arrangement it is hoped to
get the valuations of that ward within a
couple of weeks.
More Fifth Avenue Protests.
In G. W. schmidt's appeal he objects to
$4,000 assessed on his elevator machinery.
The Schmidt building on Filth avenue is
assessed at slO5, 900; appeal, $4,000. Lot BOX
24O feet, sl5O 600; appeal, $4,000.
DR.. C. C. Hussey's property on Fifth ave-
nue. adjoining the old postoffice is assessed
at s64l 500 as follows: Lot 3Ox240 feet, $50 O0O
appeal, sl2O 900. Four-story brick building
thereon, $4,000: appeal, S23, 500: fve-story
brick store in rear, $40 coo: appeal. S25 800
Lot 32x120, Fifth avenue between Wood and
Market streets, Sl2S0OO; appeal, SlO2, 400
Seven-story brick and granite building
thereon, Sl25,0 900; appeal, $4,000. Lot 3ON1+O.
Fifth avenue, corner alley between wood
and Market streets, SlSS 500; appeal, $l0S, 500.
Brick four-story warehouse thereon. SlS,OOO;
no appeal. Total appeal, S463,2oO. DIR. Hus-
sey complains his property WAS excessively
and uni justly raised 40 per cent over the last
assessment, which was itself excessive.
The William Ward estate, at the corner of
Seventh avenue and Old Grant street, is
assessed at s2l, 80 on the 2lx9O foot lot. But
the appeal says: "By the change in Grant
street our property has been deprecated at
least % per cent and should not be assessed
any higher than the lSs9 assessment"
The Average of Twenty Years.
Bailey, Farrell & Co.'S appeal is an inter
estirg reflection OF the opinion of many
business men as shown by their statements
on appeals. They are assessed $4,000 on 40x
80 feet on Smithfeld street. between Sixth
avenue and Strawberry alley; appeal, $50 900.
On two four-story brick houses thereon,
SO, COO; appeal, S. 600. Lot S0xS0 feet, Straw
berry alley, between Liberty and Smithfield
streets, SIS 900: appeal, $500 Lot 30zle0 feet,
adjoining above on Strawberry alley, S2l,0OO:
appeal, So 900. The appeal says: I'VE have
our valuation of Smithfield street frontage,
on the opinion OF persons familiar with real
estate values IN this section of the city, as
being fair average value. While the busi-
ness necessities of some persons may induce
them to pay more for property at the mo-
ment. the valuation we nave placed on it is
very much higher than the average of the
past - years. In 1870 we were offered 81, 200
Tor one house and lot. In 1876 We offered the
same house and lot for SO, 900 and could not
find purcha
The Pittsburg Opera House Company ap-
peals through W. W. Bell, Treasurer. The
assessment is as follows: On s5xl20 leet on
Fifth avenue, ,333; appeal, S27S,067. Opera
House. four stories, $4,000; appeal, SIS, 900.
Lot 30Xi40 feet, fronting Diamond street,
S53 600; appeal, S24, 900. Lot l00Xl20 feet,
fronting Diamond street, Sl0l,04l; appeal,
s75,O7S. Diamond street building, $50 eco: no
appeal. Relative to the Fifth avenue build
ing the appeal says: 1.-The four-story build
ing on Fifth avenue Will be torn down when
the present lease expires in 1894 At present
the income from the building is equal to
about the rent from single story building
this ground. the upper parts OF the build
ing being totally abandoned and beyond re-
pairs"
Wants the Contract Price Taken.
The German National Bank accepts slos,-
800 on lot 3OxlSO at Wood street and Sixth
avenue but protest against s350,OOO on the
stone bank building, their valuation being
the contract price, s24l, 100.
j. H. Miller protests against an assess
ment of $50, 900 on 20xllO feet or Fifth avenue
below Cherry alley, his valuation being only
S27, 500 The latest sale on Fifth above
Smithfeld he says was that Of c. L. Magee
to W. g. and ID. f. Parke last November,
when the lot at the corner opposite the
Cathedral was sold for 81 $50 per front foot.
He thinks his lot should be assessed lower
rather than higher than that corner lot.
Marshall Brothers foundry is assessed at
SSe052 on the S0xl20 on Diamond street,
which is accepted, but the owners appeal
for a cut from SIS 900 to S., 600 on machinery
and from SC, 500 to 5000 on building.
Uriah Cpdegratf1s heirs are assessed
at at ooS $4,000 Si,s; on l2OzeO foot lOt, and
nue. and Smithfeld street, occupied by the
Pennsylvanla Company. Their appeal is
for $4,000 on building and lot valuation is
accepted, asking that correction be made
In the front, which is only III feet.
Cut of one-Half Asked.
Thompson McClintock ct al are assessed
at S2762 25s on xl433z on MAJ ket street, be-
tween Liberty and Fifth avenue They ap-
peal for valuation of sI45 001, and say the
assessors figures are unequal, unjust, and
III excess OF any natural increase in values
o. McClintock appeals as follows: Lot s515
x94O feet, Fifth avenue, helow Wood street,
si27, appeal. $i0209O Lot64l%x6s feet, Vir-
gin alley, SS2 2o0: appeal, 81, $500 Lot l2I5x
2S1%, King alley. between Fifth aveuue and
Virgin alley, S62l: no appeal Lot 25x4s, Vir,.
gin alley, below Wood Street, SIC, 600; appeal,
S. 600.
samuel HAMILTON, owner of the Hamilton
building, on Fifth avenue is assessed at
O,O00 on SOx240 foot lot and s.2 100 on build
ing. He Jumps hotn in an appeal for $500
O03 valuation, and says: 'The value OF auy
capacity. Since Lass assessment the income
from my property has decreased 20 per cent
while the expense OF operating has in,
creased, and vet you increase my assess
ment about S5009O. As q matter of fact. /
would sell to-day ut $50 OOJ less than /
would have done q year ago"
Thomas B. Hutchinson offers to pay q nre-
mium OF $4,000 to anyone Who will Sell his
property at the assessors figures He is as
sessed Sl97, ,o90 and appeals for Sla6 6On ynlua-
ton. as ollows: Lot 20l%SS0 No. IS Firth ay-
snue. s46740 and 5000 0n building: appeal.
SIS 600 on lot. On lot 5g4Xl271% on Masters
ailev sl43, $50. and s.. Coz on buildings: aDpeoi
SS4 COO on lot He SAYS the property has been
Tor sale for two years at less than $50 Oo1and
no bids received.
J.F. Maeder is assessed $50 600 on aox1Io
feet at Fifth avenue and Cherry alley: am
peal, S36 600; $4,000 on building accepted lie
reminds the assessors that he is on the
hump" that lie is surrounded on two sides
by church property, which, he saws, is a
drawback to business, and he further states
that as the cable cars cannot stop on the
hill in front of his place, and as people ride
down town instead OF walking az formerly
it decreases business and the value OF prop
erty. He concludes: III property on the
hump is worth $1,000 a front foot, what
would it be worth down town, where ten Off
ferent traction lines empty the people?"
Other Cases Almost Without Number.
Third ward-The Methodist Board of Pub.
licatiGn, lot 20xlI5 Fifth avenue, below
asSosspd Ono. co.. coa