The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-13
Communicated.
OAKLAND. Nd, July II, 1898

OAKLAND. Md, July II, 1893
To the Editor of The Republican.
| ask space in your columns to
correct certain errors afloat regard
ing the grading ard improving of
Oakland.
| want to say in the beginningl
that | am in favor of improving our
town, and the plan I first suggested
was to spend $1,000 of the $40, 900
on the business thoroughfares of
the town by grading, putting in
stone curb and macadamlzing the
streets with stone, brick or anything
else that will make permanent
street, and to use the $1,000 bal
ance of the bond money and part
OF the tax money to fix up the streets
where no stone are needed. al
ways opposed the -stone streets and
brick sidewalks except in the bust
ness part of the town.
| asked the council to fix up one
square as sample and suggested
either Main street from the Memo
rial church to the railroad crossing,
or Alder street from the Central
hotel to the new Luthearn church.
The above proposition was opposed
by every member of the council ex-
cept Mr.. S. f. Boyer.
At the same meeting of the coun-
Gil DR.. III. W. McComas proposed
and moved that the council issue
bonds to the amount of SO, 900, or
as much thereof as Was necessary
to grade the streets, put in stone
curbing and improve the sidewalks.
| felt and said at the time that
did not believe in spending $40, 900
in piling up mud, but that the
streets from the depot to Hamill &
Little's corner should be made
solid, | would not oppose their way,
and so voted with them in order to
get the town in some respectable
shape.
We employed an engineer to
make plat of the town and to es
tablish a grade, but when three
ladies Zone not a resident) came
down town and said the town should
not be graded, the very men who
suggested the plan Of grading said
they did not understand that the
town would be graded.
| want to add right here that if
they did not intend to grade the
town why did they employ an cngi-
neer to make the plat, pay him sl75
for his work and then do nothing?
At the last meeting of the coun-
Gil, which was held July Sd, it was
decided not to issue bonds at pres
ent. The vote stood as follows:
For issuing bonds and improving
the town, Boyer and Sh2Ftzer;
against Little, Naylor and ~lIine-
baugh.
| give the above in order that the
people Of Oakland may know who
are in favor of improving the town
and those who oppose the measure.
know that unless we fix up the
town and then advertise its advan-
tages, that in less than five years
Oakland as a summer resort will oe
thing of the past. | can furnish
the names of people who came here
last summer anxious to see Oakland
expecting to find it beautiful,
clean town, but they went away
disappointed; | can furnish the
names of people coming here this
year who are anxious to see the
town and | fear that they will also
60 away disappointed.
Let us see what the business men
of our town say: The solid busi-
ness row in the town begins at the
railroad crossing and ends at the
Memorial church. F. Felty, gem
eral merchant, says fix up the town;
Sharpless, green groceryman, in
favor; II. j. Mayors, druggist and
wholesale manufacturer, is in favor
of improving and is anxious to put
down a brick pavement as soon as
the street is graded; G.. W. Legge,
general merchant, Is in favor of
grading the town and thinks work
should be begun on Main street; ID.
E. Offutt, general merchant, and
the heaviest taxpayer in the town,
says he was always in favor of i'm
proving; S. L. Jones, cashier of the
Garrett County Rank, is in favor of
improving; G. 0. Miller & Co.,
general merchants, are in favor;
Shartzer & Bolden, furniture deal
ers, are favorable to the proposition.
The above will show that the |
business men Of our town say i'm
prove it; the voters Of the town have !
voted on it and as a majority Of I,
them we're in favor Of issuing the |
bonds and improving the town,
! say the town council have no right /
to say they will not do that ;or which /
they were elected.