The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-12
1FEWARTSTREETTAX
property Owners Take Action
to Vacate Assessment.
sor,oM DAY IN THE COURTS.
:. On Adultery Charge DismisssA-
ra,eeuspt Procsedings-Nev suite
Rued-Blotter and Calendar.

suit OF great importance to property
e-,eu was begun yesterday in the su-
.s5or court and will bring to an issue .
s~.fict which has been going on for
...rlv four years. II il brought against
- e;ty of Seattle by about forty property
s~ren in the assessment district created
- The grading of Stewart street. among
1hom ne: AquiIla Cove and Nellie A.
eove william COPELAND and Margaret Cop
Ind Chris Gurtsen, Samuel Sloan. o. W.
f.nch. J. C. Lombard and Z. B. Lombard,
Nara Hendrix, John Till. d. f. Reid, d.
Z Csvsnaugh. S. Toby, Carrie Z. Pike, 8.
YIsueh. W. Lotka, Annie C. Kerns, Annie L.
1usuett, &C. johnson. Ole p. Egge. Wilhel-
nina Mcintosh. Teresa o. Farrell, Michael
eolouonsep, Ellen W. Smith. n. Preston.
usisss D. Clarke. 3. B. Freed, Caroline
Tr.us. First German Methodist Episcopal
ehurch. . corporation; Letitia Develiah
NafYis. Josephine Brunsen. Sarah Kyle,
john Brannen. L. Prayer. Frank Hergsrt.
A NcCormic, S. Green. ]. Johnson. Fred
csech. John d. Smith and Margaret II.
Smith.
In 1859 number OF the property owners
q Stewart street petitioned for the grad
ine Of that street from Fourth to Depot,
bdt the petition was rejected and the city
eounciI ordered the grading Of the street
rom West to Depot This Was strenu-
susly objected to BY the people east Of
Fourth, because il threw upon them the
cost Of cutting down the Denny hill.
Nevertheless, the council ordered the work
done, but the engineer changed the grade,
~ contractor refused to fulfill his con-
tnct and now contract Was
nade. the property owners protest
hg 1t every step. The work was
finally completed and the property own
4. assessed under the old charter ct 234
nils on the valuation. There was consid-
sable grumbling at the assessment: but
about that time the city council elected
under the freeholders' charter came to the
eencIusion that the assessment should
have been under that Law and not under
Ne old one. They thereupon made . new
sat that the property owners who had
rumbled had their assessments more
than doubled.
Indignation meetings were held. and il
vas resolved to place the matter in the
hands Of Attorneys Pratt 4 Riddle. The
complaint d led yesterday brings the con-
Soversy to an issue.
Under the present charter property
spon which grade assessments are delin.
euent must be sold by the city treasurer
10 property is sold for delinquent city
laxsA This throws the onus opon the
property owner 20 take the initial In legal
Roceedings. and unless some such step 10
taksn all such property must Be adver.
tied As delinquent and sold.
The complaint. which is rather lengthy,
end being proceeding In equity. goes
|nther beyond the usual form Of pleading,
|Rts up that The work having been ordered
Ind the contract entered into under the
led charter the assessment, which 10 part
II . sequence Of proceedings, should have
been made under the same laws: but il il
should be made under the new law then
the method of payment by bonds should
have been adopted. Incidentally the en-
tire proceedings are asssiled for the pur-
pose, apparently, of strengthening the ap-
peal Of the PLAINTIFF for judicial intsrven.
f.on