The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-19
NEED A NEW SIDEWALK.
Something to Replace the One
Torn Up on Jefferson Street.

be more exact, the place where the
sidewalk should be, on Jefferson street,
between Kirk and Eighth avenues
south, is matter that is being thor
oughly discussed by large number Of
the citizens Of the city.
Readers of THE TINES will remember
that at recent meeting of City
Council o recommendation offered by
the street committee WAS adop.ed to
the effect that the contractor who laid
the sewers and who, according to the
terms OF the contract, would be com:
PEELED to replace the board walks and
charge the new material used TO the
city, was released from complying
with that part OF this agreement on
the grounds that the new material
that would have to be paid for by the
city would cost more than the value of
the replaced walk.
The Council, after releasing the con-
tractor, then ordered that the old board
walk be entirely removed, and the
ground underneath removed to the
level of the grade This has since
been done by the street force at the
expense Of the city.
The citizens on Je fferson street. on
Terry Hill, at Crystal Springs and in
almost the entire part Of the Fourth
ward are dissatisfied with the existing
condition Of the walk. They claim that
as Jefferson street is the most widely
used thoroughfare in the city, with the
exception of u small portion of Camp.
bell and Salem avenues, the Council
should provide an acceptable walk for
the accommodation of the citizens until
the finances OF the city will permit q
permanent walk to laid
1t is noticeable now during the dry
weather that the dust on this section is.
to place itcmildly, very disagreeable,
and that after short time when the
settled autumn rains begin to fall the
mud will render it practically impas-
slble, and that the thousands of people
who daily use this thoroughfare will be
compelled to patronize the electric cars,
implying that Council is watching after
the interests of the Roanoke Street
Railway Company.
Some of the citizens want Stag walk;
some prefer new board walk, while
others would rather see tho city at once
take steps to put in permanent and
BILE walk of vitrified brick or
granolithic pavement.
According TO the last report of the
board of public works. Stag walk, six
feet wide, would cost 49, cehts per
lineal foot, which will make the walk
cost approximately $500. a majority
OF the citizens are of the opinion that
this work should be ordered done at the
expense of the city, as it would at pres
ent be impract icable to have the walk
made at the expense OF the AUDITING
pi operty owners.
Some time last year, wli.e MIR.
Loughery was chairman of the street
conn ittee, contract was awarded to
Contractor McCarty to lay sidewalks on
Jefferson street from Kirk to Tazewell
avenues on both sides of the street and
20 assess the abntting property owners
Tor tho amount OF the cost, which was
TO have been about 95 cents per square
yard. The contract specified Mt. Saw
age brick, and Mr. mccarthy, finding
there was no Mt. Savage vitrified BRICK
on the market, asked Council to release
him from the contract, which was done.
Mr. Kensie, another contractor, put
In bid to do the work at a cost
slightly moro and with brick different,
but equally as good, as the Mt Savage,
and his bid is still on record, which
can be accepted by Council at will
AS stated in THE TIMES a few DAYS
ago movement is on foot among the
citizens to petition Council before its
next meeting to order some action to
be taken to improve the present condi-
ton of aifalrs.
A TIMES reporter asked Mr.. Crabiil,
chairman of the street committee, yes
terday that, if the petition was referred
TO the street committee, what action
would be taken in regard to the mat
ter. Mr.. Crabill could only speak for
himself. and said he recognized the fact
that something must be done speedily
upon the matter of Jefferson street
walk; that it would be impossible in
winter. He preferred durable walks, and
the recent action of the committee in
recommending the old boards removed.
was in line with resolution passed
sometime ago, to the effect that no
board walks be hereafter laid on the
principal thoroughfares of the city. The
present state Of the citys finances
would make it impossible to go to the
expense of thoroughly good walk and
II such one should be built and the
AUDITING property owners assessed for
the amount it could not be collected
and the money would have to be taken
from the city treasury and as this walk
Is on the principal avenue of the city
and is used by thousands of citizens
on the lateral streets they claim that
the work sh Guild be done at public ex-
pense.
Meeting of the Lutheran Synod.
RURAL RETREAT, Aug. IS The evan
gelical Lutheran synod OF Sou th western
Virginia met August II in its fifty.
second session at Rural Retreat, Rev.
j. b. Greiner, pastor. There was a full
attendance of delegates, both clerical
and lay. The organization of the synod
resulted in the election Of Rev. j. b.