Chicago eagle., 1894-12-29
MOVING A TOWN.
EVERY HOUSE TO DC CARRIED
AWAY ON WHEELS.
The psospsetIvs Half. Mile Journey
Of . New York Village. "A Whole.
sale Eviction.

The work Of grading for the nsw
village of katonah will be begun in
q few days about half mile south OF
the present town Of the same namo
in N'estchester County.
Whether the town of Katonah will
be a new town six months from now
or whether it will be the old town IN
new place Is still an open question.
Only one thing Is certain, and that is
that thirty days after May /, 1895,
Kate nah, II 1t exists, must not exist
where 1t Is.
Commissioner Daily, Of the Public
Works Department, decided April /
last that the proximity Of the town
TO the water supply Of New York was
dangerous, and that 1t must 90. A
board Of appraisers was appointed tc
award damages to the property.own.
ers. The city OF New Yofk became
owner Of all the town with the ex.
ceftion OF the Grand Army Hall and
tho houses Of 8. o. Arnold and 8. B.
Hoyt. Both Mr.. Arnold and Mr..
Hoyt had built houses on the out.
skirts Of the village over $50 feet
from Che Cross River. whi,h runs
through the settlement. The Com.
missic ner decided that they might
stay, as they were outside Of the dead
line.
To MI the other propcrty-owners,
however. the order OF eviction was
law, snl they were given until May
/, 1875, to got out. Thirty days
after that daie the houses they occu.
py, and which now belong to the
city, will be sold ut public auction u,
the highest bidder.
When the city took the houses
last April. the rent question was not
brosched. For six months the own
ers lived In the premises unmolested.
Lass October, however, .hey were
male to pay rent. They are now
paying rent to the city for the
property the city has taken from
them. and up to date have not Re.
ceised the money due them for con.
dernnation. Still they will get II,
ana this fact Is not worrying them
nearly 30 much as the question how
to movo the town o half mile further
soIth.
ITS a good thing. Push IL along,
sald Katonah native yesterday
when asked how the town was goinl
to be moved, and that Is what vii
lave to be done.
With this idea in view, o syndi
cate composed Of the village property
owners has been formed, and twenty
five acres OF ground one-half mile
south Of the present town sight have
been purchased. The ground ha!
been surveyed and tho grading vii
be started this week. After this Il
completed the people will walt until
their houses are sold by the city, bu,
them In rs old lumber, and then the
village will take wheels and 90 south
There Is largo quantity OF work
In sight for any fair.sized, healthy
house-moving association that vii
guarantee to move the residences
stores and barns OF Katonah over tn
Cross river to the new town site
Many people think II cannot be done
But In all we'll regulated village
there sre o few minds who under
stand that necessity 10 the mother o
inven lion, and these people hav
come forward with o feasible schem
for the moving.
Their plan Is to lay q temporar,
track such as Is used In railroad con
struction work from the Harlem
River Railroad to the house to b
moved, jack the houses on to ha
cars and pull them down to the ney
site. A temporary track and switcl
could also be constructed there, an
tho old house moved onto tho ne'
lot. Owing to tho fact TINT the roa
to tho new village Is up and dow
hill, the old style OF moving canno
be used, as the rollers would be liza
bic to insist on going down hill In
stead OF up. The moving OF the vii
lage on fiat cars seems the only wa
out OF II, and this system cannot b
used In some cases. notably that @
the Methodist and Presbyterla
churches, which are situated one-ha
mile from the railroad.
A scheme to move the churches
however, has also been thought ou
Instead Of tho railroad, It Is propose
to jack the churches up ten feet, su
fcient to drive a dozen horses or I
under them, and by placing them O
heavy stone.wayons braced with ste'
rails to cart them the distanc
This plan. while appearing impossl
bio to some Of the villagers, Is said
be practicable. and has been en-
ployed In tho Southwest, where nc
uncommon sight Is to see fou
room cottage on wheels going up Il
, main street to take up its residen'
on new fifty-foot lot its owner hi
traded for a span OF mules.
The new village OF Katonah Is
: be up to date, and needs only kit
shaped track to make 1t an ideal.
is expected that thirty days after IL
Srder Of evacuation Is given the ne
town will be running In full bla
and the storekeepers doing busiue
in tho same old way at the new stan'
= The town claims q population OF 20
The magnitude OF the undertake.
cun be better understood when 1t
known that between eighty and o.
hnndred houses will have to
moved, besides barns, stores and
;ouple OF blacksmith shops, the ra
| Alvaa nI,,,wnhaa onA