Evening journal., 1893-03-27
THE SILYERBROOK QUESTION.
Peter j. Ford Discusses the Nature of the
Opposition to His Bin and Shows It's
Absurdity,

DEAR SIR: In view or the misleading
remarks Of Mr. Benson of the City
Council, as we'll as the misrepresentation
Of the Hon. William Cooch of New Gas.
tie county on the floor of the House Of
Representatives on Thursday last, ] take
occasion TO disabuse the minds of the
citizens of this city Of any erroneous i'm
pressions they may have formed regarding
the Silvertrook bill The mode of attack
pursued by the opponents of the bill al
WAYS has been TO impress the people as
we'll as the Legislature with the fc
titiously great magnitude as well as the
enormous cost of this sewer, together
with the misleading statement that only
myself and n few people were interested
shall give a brief review of the territory
contiguous TO the proposed sewer as for
mulated and planned on a magnificent
scale by a scientific engineer Of the Street
and Sewer Department, the cost of which,
as stated by him, would be $4,000 ex
elusive Of the condemnation costs and
excavation, which, assuming to be
S25 600 additional would make total of
S75, 100 which is an excessively high esti
mate, and we feel confident of proving
the fact to the public by an estimate from
a competent person in few days. This
sewer would drain all of the territory Of
Silverbrook, which water shed runs back
to Eighth and Scott streets, comprising
(instead Of a few scattering houses) sew.
eral hundred dwellings, three churches,
two public school houses and, among its
residents, some of the heaviest and most
substantial tax payers and business men
in this city and men who have done more
to add to the material and substantial
prosperity of Wilmington in six months
than has been done by the recently de-
veloped opponents of the Silyerbrook
Sewer bill in their whole lives
This sewer, after passing the city
limits at Linden street would be carried
down past Elsmere close to the city line,
around to Browntown, draining tho
aforementioned places, which include
several hundred dwellings which,
as a matter of course, becomes a source
of revenue to the city. This part Of
the city is in no sense and has not been
for years farm land, but Is high priced
suburban property and is becoming more
contiguous to the city, and some of the
owners are willing to have it brought
into the city, and which should be done at
once
ask the citizens of Wilmington to
bear in mind the following facts: First
owing to the fact that this proposed
sewer is paralleled, from beginning to end
by railroads, this property would be the
most desirable and less expensive land in
Wilmington for manufacturing as well
as building sites, and the increase in
value Of property along said sewer
would more than double in one year, and
the increased revenue accruing TO the
city of Wilmington as result of the i'm
provements that would be made would pay
for S75 600 sewer with interest ia five
years. Second-Every mandatory,
dwelling, stable, &c in the city of vii
mington and throughout the United
States Except in the Silverbrook district)
have sewerage of some sort, let IL be a
closed sewer, ditch, creek, or what it
may, but we are compelled to run all our
refuse into basins and pump it (at an
expense of over 81 000 per year. over the
hill to Shipey run, and as a result Of
this no other manufacturer, who requires
sewerage, will follow our example and
build in this territory. Third-It was
not our intention to ask for an artificial
sewer, but to have Siverbrook con-
demned. This was opposed by the Jessup
and Moore Company, who enlisted the
oppo sition Of part Of the Street and
Sewer Department, and later on, the
Board Of Health At a meeting Of the
co hictiDg interests, together with the
members of the legislative committee,
S r Smith, Esq offered, as compromise
measure, that plain, every day drain
pipe be laid instead of condemning the
stream, which seemed to satisfy every
one interested except the president of the
Street aud Sewer Department, who now
comes forward with the aforementioned
proposition With an idea of soaring the
people with the enormity Of the same,
notwithstanding, it is mentioned in the
report of the Street and Sewer Depart
ment for 1892. on page 147. as being
urgently needed It was not and is not
the intention of the originators Of this
bill to settle a debt of $50 or $50 % 10
on the tax payers of this city for this
purpose, but that the city issue bonds
for the amount required, which we will
assume to be $75. 600, and the same can
be readily secured at per cent. and il
does not require a great fnancier OF
statesman TO figure that the interest on
SIS. 600 at per cent. is 49, 600 per
annum, aud this interest divided ur
into an assessed valuation of S35, 000 600
for 1894 would mean the enormous in
crease of less than one cent of each
800 to the tax payers of Wilmington,
even if this elaborate sewer was erected.
These figures, l admit, do not agree
with those Of Mr. C och, who told
the Legislature that the tax rate
would be increased 30 and
probably 40 cents, or with
Mr. Carpenter, who told the editor Of
Every Evening that the increased taxa
tion would be 40 cents on the 500, il
this bill would pass, Notwithstanding
that very same man erected in East
Lake, at the expense of the city, mag
nificent piece of sewer whom nobody
wanted except himself at an expense O.
nearly $40, 600 The need of sewers ir
the built up portions Of the city, which
? have become so apparent the last few
: days, was strikipgly lost sight Of dur
ing the erection of the East Lake sewer
but, as Mr. Carpenter is about to retir'
from the Street and Sc Ver Department
! | will not dwell any further on his incon
, sistency only TO say that an ex membe
} of the Street aud Sewer Department ant
large property owner has made assertion
that no honorable man would stanl
b under and If not true is libel for wbie
/ he is amenable TO the law. presente
tn the ipoielature affidavits from tvv